Interesting observations.
But I know Scotland well, all 3 of my children live there and my son as in
Aberdeen for 4 years. What your father describes is not new, and to my way
of thinking doen't signify a deterioration, at least not within the last 25
years or so.
Tramps are not unusual in the UK, and in fact Scotland has far fewer than
cities like London and Bristol.
And the loss of manufacturing in the UK is also nothing new - most of the
big employers went in the 70's. As it happens, the economy in Scotland is
booming, with Inverness being the fastest growing city in the UK. But much
of the economy is based on modern technologies and financial trade, no
longer on the heavy manufacturing industries which have long since gone to
the far east.
As for drunken behaviour; what he says its true, but young people in
Scotland have a heritage and tradittion to live up to, particularly at new
year! The 18 age limit for alcohol is the same throughout the UK. I don't
tink this in itself is a problem, but the fairly indescriminate marketing of
"designer drinks" certainly is!
Scotland is still a great place, both scenicaly and socially!
Guy
-----Original Message-----
From David Riker <davriker at pacbell.net>
To: spridgets@autox.team.net <spridgets@autox.team.net>
Date: 16 January 2005 16:38
Subject: January in Scotland (no lbc) long
>Just received this email from my father, thought It might be interesting
due
>to the UK content...
>
>Dear Sons:
>
>
>
>I saw a different Scotland on this trip, and not a particularly nice
Scotland.
>Perhaps it was influenced by the weather, cold, grey and blustery, or to
post
>holiday blues, but it was ugly, downright ugly. No, I don't mean the
scenery;
>that was as beautiful as ever, in a rugged and raw type of way; it was the
>people and a changing way of life.
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