Scotland has a long and proud history of folk heroes. Great military leaders and kings like William Wallace, Rob Roy MacGregor and Robert The Bruce are immortalised in our nation's history.
In the modern age, our heroes have tended to come from the realms of science, politics and football. Amongst the inventions created by Scotsmen are the television, telephone, penicillin, radar and the pneumatic tyre.
But since Saturday, when Islamic fundamentalists brought their war of wonky ideologies to Scottish soil for the first time, Scotland has a new hero.
John Smeaton, a baggage handler at Glasgow Airport, is fast becoming a legendary figure not only here in Scotland, but around the world.
Spotting one of the would-be terrorists running towards police officers whilst on fire, John reportedly sprinted towards the man and felled him with a kick.
Interviewed afterwards by an American news crew, John said: “Me and other folk were just tryin’ tae get the boot in and some other guy banjoed him.”
John's bravery can only be commended. I am quite sure that if I saw a burning Pakistani running through an airport terminal, I would not be running towards him.
The people behind the John Smeaton tribute site have begun a campaign to reward the man himself with drink (as we do in Scotland). So far, they have received enough pledges to buy our own have a go hero more than 600 pints at the Holiday Inn at Glasgow Airport.
I urge you all to recognise the heroism of John Smeaton and to raise a glass in his honour.
(Thanks also to Silversprite and Big Rab for publicising John's heroics.)
7 comments:
I'll tip an ale to him at dinner tonight.
That was me oops!
A glass of Hobgoblin is called for I methinks!! I just heard about that chap today top bloke!!
Hooray for Scotland...Hooray for John!
Let us sing!
O Flower of Scotland,
When will we see
Your like again,
That fought and died for,
Your wee bit Hill and Glen,
And stood against him,
Proud Edward's Army,
And sent him homeward,
Tae think again.
The Hills are bare now,
And Autumn leaves
lie thick and still,
O'er land that is lost now,
Which those so dearly held,
That stood against him,
Proud Edward's Army,
And sent him homeward,
Tae think again.
Those days are past now,
And in the past
they must remain,
But we can still rise now,
And be the nation again,
That stood against him,
Proud Edward's Army,
And sent him homeward,
Tae think again.
0 Flower of Scotland,
When will we see
your like again,
That fought and died for,
Your wee bit Hill and Glen,
And stood against him,
Proud Edward's Army,
And sent him homeward,
Tae think again
Ok, I did not know there was such a storm about the Scottish national anthem.
I tried to find a good one with bagpipes, I do love bag pipes, and I see there is a whole bunch of stories on what should be the national anthem of Scotland.
I do love Scotland the Brave and O' Flower from Scotland.
They both sound wonderful. I am still trying to email you a great bagpipes version. Would you email me a great bagpipes version of both?
Thanks!
Blue
PS...yes I know it is complete off topic. ;-)
Good for him! I'll raise a drink to him over here...
>All countries have police forces who protect civilians from suicide
>bombers. In Glasgow they have a police force to protect suicide bombers
>from the civilians.
>
>
>Eyewitness accounts.
>
>America:"Oh my God! there was a man on fire,he was running about, i just
>ran for my life..i thought i was going to die,he got so close to me"
>
>Glasgow "C**t wis running aboot oon fire,so ah ran up n gave him a good
>boot,then ah decked him"
>
>America:"I just want to get home, away from here..i just wanna get home,i
>thought i was gonna die"
>
>Glasgow:"here shug,am no leaving here till am oan a f**kin' plane!"
>
>America:"there was pandemonium,people were running in all directions,we
>didn't know what was happening,i thought i was gonna die"
>
>Glasgow:"F**k this fir a kerry oan, moan we ll get a pint in"
>
>America:"We thought he was gonna blow us all up he had a gas
>canister,and was trying to get into his trunk,i thought we were gonna
>die,i just ran for my life"
>
>Glasgow:"ah swaggered by the motor that wis on fire,and the dafty
>couldnae even open his boot,he wis in fire annaw, so a ran up n gave him
>a good boot to the baws"
>
>America:there was this huge explosion,it sounded like war,i thought i
>was gonna die"
>
>Glasgow:"There wis a bang,yi know when yi throw BO basher intae a fire
>it wis like that"
>
>America:"i'm too traumatised even to speak,i thought i was gonna die"
>
>Glasgow "here mate,gies 2 minutes till a phone ma auld dear,if ahm gonna
>be oan the telly ah want her tae tape it"
Post a Comment