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The Social Union

I've returned from a couple of jobs in England.

By jobs I mean Ceilidh Band jobs, playing the fiddle.  Precisely speaking I played two weddings.  One in Yorkshire, near Harrogate and one near Otterburn in Northumberland.

In between the jobs I stayed with friends in Rothbury, a lovely country town in Northumberland.

Speaking with people that I met about the forthcoming referendum was a great delight.  This wasn't a scientific poll or anything like that.  It was simply just relaxed blethering, mostly in pubs and licensed premises.

For the most part our neighbours to the south are pretty laid back about the prospect of Scottish independence.  In short they wish us well.  They trust us to make the decision that is right for us.

More importantly, these Borderers know that the social union will not change.  People will still flit back and forth across the border as they do now.  People will be dancing to the same bands.  The bonds of family and romance will grow as strong as ever.

The people that I spoke to understand.  They get it.  They know that what will be changed is the political union.  They get that it is broken.  For the most part they can understand why people in Scotland would vote YES.

The friends I stayed with in Rothbury have origins on both sides of the border.  What could be a more natural indication of getting on well with the neighbours?

Despite all the propaganda from the mainstream media, nobody in England that I spoke to thought that this was about anti-english sentiment.  To be fair, the folks that I spoke to were not a scientific sample.

They were people who were partying at weddings in the good weather. However briefly, they were escaping the cares of life to enjoy some moments of pleasure and joy.

These people got it for sure.


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