1st January 2008, 09:13 PM
I am not actually sure what Kenneth Aitchinsin is driving at with statements such as
"although, for now, there are still some that will not participate, and choose to follow their own, non-participatory paths. These self-centred and self-serving individuals will find themselves increasingly sidelined and irrelevant as our professional structures transform".
Similarly he talks about the historic environment being a fragile and finite resource while this is true about archaeological remains it is certainly not the case when considering the historic environment as a whole. For example take conservation areas - they are growing in both numbers and size. The definition of a conservation area is also evolving as each one is preserved and enhanced as pleasant places.
As for the notion of being British, Scottish, a Fifer and a Raith Rovers fan I am not sure what he is driving at. Stark's Park holds 10,000 people and there are only 400 season ticket holders.
Gordon Brownâs Britishness speech made to the Fabian Society I think was actually saying that we donât have an identity of British but in fact we need one and hence a British national holiday. He was suggesting that there was nothing wrong with Patriotism. His speech suggests that Britishness is about fair play, freedom and citizenship with responsibilities.
He argues that voluntary civic duties are a key part of Britishness which he would like to promote. He wants history taught as a narrative not dates and facts. Good.
He argues that âFor two centuries Britain was defined to the world by its proliferation of local clubs, associations, societies and endeavours - from churches and trades unions to municipal initiatives and friendly societies.â He followed a similar theme at the party conference when he also said:
As the Scotsman put it:
âTracing his journey from Kirkcaldy's schools to Edinburgh University, he recalled the schoolmates who did not accompany him, not for want of talent but for lack of money and aspiration. "The reason I am here - the real reason I am here - is that I want their children and their grandchildren, whom I also represent, to have all the chances that were not available to my school friends when we were growing up," he declared.â
That statement had a resonance with me till I thought about what he was actually saying. It was certainly true in the 1930s but was it actually true in 1969 when Gordon Brown went to University. I can accept that a small percentage of the pupils at this School went to university- but this was the time of golden opportunity with good state grants being available.
I am also not sure how history will help reduce social division, as Kenny suggests, in places like the Lang Toun where 15% of the households have incomes of less than UKP100 per week. A far cry from the 1980s when the town still had a pit and was prosperous or the 1960s when Gordon Brown was at School. This was an era when miners could afford 4 bedroom houses.
In the case of Kirkcaldy recent history will divide people when they remember the miners strike and the shutting of a profitable pit by a distant government in London in 1987. A pit that was to have employed 2500 men for 150 years.
Up the road in Burntisland the ship yard was doing well until they were constructing the Ohrmazd paid for by the British Government as aid for Pakistan. The specifications were changed and the ship was late which caused the yard to lose money and then it went into liquidation. Again a remote government in London was to blame.
Then there is the issue of the oilâ¦..
The area does now, of course, have call centres and heritage, for example from the Heritage Trustâs website: - "responsible for the search for King Charles I's baggage ferry, the 'Blessing', which sank off Burntisland in 1633. There is a special website devoted to this fascinating treasure huntâ â¦
http://www.kingcharles-wrex.co.uk/history.htm
Kenny tells us to stop being impartial â the inference being we should produce biased narratives from a specific political perspective. This is a slippery slope. He also says that:
âincreasing our shared ability to influence and support politics, policy and social change.â
The inference is that we are not an academic discipline particularly not a scientific one and in fact we are an environmental political movement.
So on balance I disagree with what Kenny and Gordon Brown are saying. Freedom of thought and action are very much part of Britishness.
I think what I rebel against most of all is the notion that I must remember that ultimately I work for the public benefit stewarding change. Personally I work to earn money â I am a professional. As I think more about this article I think it is moral high ground simplicity. The Historic Environment has a real value. It has a monetary value as evidenced by increased house prices in conservation areas.
Ultimately is there anything wrong with protecting the historic environment not for some altruistic or sentimental reason but in order to make money?
Dr Peter Wardle
Gordon Brown speech to the Fabian society can be found on;
http://fabians.org.uk/events/new-year-co...ess/speech
Kirkcaldy is the town in âFife, Scotland, the UK, Europe, The World, The Universeâ that Gordon Brown grew up in and now represents. Gordon Brown supports the Local Football Team Raith Rovers.
"although, for now, there are still some that will not participate, and choose to follow their own, non-participatory paths. These self-centred and self-serving individuals will find themselves increasingly sidelined and irrelevant as our professional structures transform".
Similarly he talks about the historic environment being a fragile and finite resource while this is true about archaeological remains it is certainly not the case when considering the historic environment as a whole. For example take conservation areas - they are growing in both numbers and size. The definition of a conservation area is also evolving as each one is preserved and enhanced as pleasant places.
As for the notion of being British, Scottish, a Fifer and a Raith Rovers fan I am not sure what he is driving at. Stark's Park holds 10,000 people and there are only 400 season ticket holders.
Gordon Brownâs Britishness speech made to the Fabian Society I think was actually saying that we donât have an identity of British but in fact we need one and hence a British national holiday. He was suggesting that there was nothing wrong with Patriotism. His speech suggests that Britishness is about fair play, freedom and citizenship with responsibilities.
He argues that voluntary civic duties are a key part of Britishness which he would like to promote. He wants history taught as a narrative not dates and facts. Good.
He argues that âFor two centuries Britain was defined to the world by its proliferation of local clubs, associations, societies and endeavours - from churches and trades unions to municipal initiatives and friendly societies.â He followed a similar theme at the party conference when he also said:
As the Scotsman put it:
âTracing his journey from Kirkcaldy's schools to Edinburgh University, he recalled the schoolmates who did not accompany him, not for want of talent but for lack of money and aspiration. "The reason I am here - the real reason I am here - is that I want their children and their grandchildren, whom I also represent, to have all the chances that were not available to my school friends when we were growing up," he declared.â
That statement had a resonance with me till I thought about what he was actually saying. It was certainly true in the 1930s but was it actually true in 1969 when Gordon Brown went to University. I can accept that a small percentage of the pupils at this School went to university- but this was the time of golden opportunity with good state grants being available.
I am also not sure how history will help reduce social division, as Kenny suggests, in places like the Lang Toun where 15% of the households have incomes of less than UKP100 per week. A far cry from the 1980s when the town still had a pit and was prosperous or the 1960s when Gordon Brown was at School. This was an era when miners could afford 4 bedroom houses.
In the case of Kirkcaldy recent history will divide people when they remember the miners strike and the shutting of a profitable pit by a distant government in London in 1987. A pit that was to have employed 2500 men for 150 years.
Up the road in Burntisland the ship yard was doing well until they were constructing the Ohrmazd paid for by the British Government as aid for Pakistan. The specifications were changed and the ship was late which caused the yard to lose money and then it went into liquidation. Again a remote government in London was to blame.
Then there is the issue of the oilâ¦..
The area does now, of course, have call centres and heritage, for example from the Heritage Trustâs website: - "responsible for the search for King Charles I's baggage ferry, the 'Blessing', which sank off Burntisland in 1633. There is a special website devoted to this fascinating treasure huntâ â¦
http://www.kingcharles-wrex.co.uk/history.htm
Kenny tells us to stop being impartial â the inference being we should produce biased narratives from a specific political perspective. This is a slippery slope. He also says that:
âincreasing our shared ability to influence and support politics, policy and social change.â
The inference is that we are not an academic discipline particularly not a scientific one and in fact we are an environmental political movement.
So on balance I disagree with what Kenny and Gordon Brown are saying. Freedom of thought and action are very much part of Britishness.
I think what I rebel against most of all is the notion that I must remember that ultimately I work for the public benefit stewarding change. Personally I work to earn money â I am a professional. As I think more about this article I think it is moral high ground simplicity. The Historic Environment has a real value. It has a monetary value as evidenced by increased house prices in conservation areas.
Ultimately is there anything wrong with protecting the historic environment not for some altruistic or sentimental reason but in order to make money?
Dr Peter Wardle
Gordon Brown speech to the Fabian society can be found on;
http://fabians.org.uk/events/new-year-co...ess/speech
Kirkcaldy is the town in âFife, Scotland, the UK, Europe, The World, The Universeâ that Gordon Brown grew up in and now represents. Gordon Brown supports the Local Football Team Raith Rovers.