Mike Vickers' Blog

Really a couple of asides – I have read Lesley Riddoch’s article in the Scotsman

http://www.lesleyriddoch.com/2013/01/bumble-bee-economy-flies-again.html

and read a short transcript of a Newsnight programme  by Joe Lyman of the BBC on a visit to Reykjavik.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-20936685

Roughly the same reports although Lyman provides a few downside stories of people struggling.  But one is never sure how many people need to be interviewed to get the downside ones.

But

To English – I spent five years in what was then West Germany and likewise everyone wanted to speak English to me – which certainly didn’t do my German any good.

While listening to the pod I looked up the History of Iceland because a comment that ?Lesley made implied that Iceland was a vassal of Norway – which was true before it was handed over to Denmark.  Only after WW2 did Iceland become independent.  What I hadn’t realised was the Brits occupied Iceland at the beginning of WW2 – then the Brits were overtaken by the US.

A recent Belle Caledonia queried what would happen to poor Northern Ireland when Scotland becomes independent – the writer said they would have no choice but to remain in the Union (Formally of course they are not part of the Union – it’s the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland) or join the Republic of Ireland (sorry I understand that Eire is no longer acceptable).  The Protestants have no wish to join Eire any more than a lot of Scots want to be part of the UK.  But it would seem to me that Northern Ireland could follow Iceland and become a nation on its own – that would at least avoid the number of days the Union Jack is flying over Stormount.