Category: campaign diary
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Homeward Bound
Well I had my wish and walked, carefree, on Westport beach. I picked up a heart-shaped stone as a memento, and gazed across at the coast of Antrim, the Emerald Isle glistening out of dissipating mist. As soon as I’d realised I was up against 4 locals—all knowledgeable about the area, intimately connected through kith…
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Leafleting
It’s 6pm and polling closes in 4 hours so I’ve headed back to base for a refuelling stop. Here’s my thoughts on leafleting. Because time presses, it’s most self-plagiarised from my last by-election campaign blog but with some adaptations for leafleting in South Kintyre which I’ve now done on three separate visits, this last time…
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What now for Scotland?
Stuck on the eastern shore of Loch Fyne—by wind, weather and a technical problem with the ferry due west to Tarbert—I thought I was doing the sensible thing by waiting for updates from CalMac. About half an hour (if that) drive-on-drive-off made much more sense than driving east to Tighnabruaich, north to Glendaruel (I have…
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Hallowe’en!
With Polling Day on Thursday 2nd November 2023, this coming Tuesday it’s once more into the Twingo heading for South Kintyre—but this time via Arran. With the winter timetable, there’s a three-way ferry from Lochranza calling at Tarbert and Portavadie, which suits me fine. The plan is to drive down on Wednesday—also known as All…
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Contenders
To be honest, when I saw on the WCIVF website (after total radio silence on Twitter though it may have all been happening on Facebook) that there were 4 other candidates for the South Kintyre by-election on Thursday 2nd November 2023, I was actually relieved. Firstly, because I do believe in democracy and having someone…
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By-election: Who’s Who and What’s What?
In order to vote in the South Kintyre by-election, you’ll need to be registered: here’s how to do that! The deadline for registering to vote in the Argyll and Bute Council by-election is Tuesday 17 October 2023. South Kintyre by-election In this election, you can vote when you’re 16 or over on polling day (the day…
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Sea Change in Campaign Plans
I’d planned to take the ferry to Campbeltown, do some leafleting and talk to folk, take the bus up to Tarbert, stay overnight, sail over to Portavadie, ferry back to Tarbert, bus down to Campbeltown and more leafleting, up and down from Portavadie again then a final day in Campbeltown before taking the ferry back…
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Ferry Fiasco: Getting to South Kintyre
I don’t really like driving. Some people do. They’ll “go for a drive” to clear their head. I go for a walk with my dog. I don’t dislike driving and I like my wee Twingo but I mostly see it as a practical way to get from A to B, taking people, animals, plants and…
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Caring in Kirky & Kintyre
It’s five to nine on a Tuesday morning. The few dishes left over from Juan’s savoury rice last night are washed and the pancake batter made. Fiona the carer is helping Mum shower, her medication is on an orange plate so she can see it and the porridge is on. The washing that was steeping…
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Campaigning in Campbeltown
The sea wasn’t quite glass as we sailed over from Portavadie, there was just enough wind to justify raising the full panelled sail of my wee junk-rig, the Florence Louisa, at least till we neared the ferry slipway. I’m always relieved when we cross the route of the ferry and leave it behind us. I’d…
Standing for Freedom in South Kintyre 