Highland Sparks

HIGHLAND SPARKS The following article, Highland Sparks, was written for bella caledonia, by George Gunn, From the Province of the Cat, 21.3.24 Let me begin by stating two things which are both true and untrue. One: Scottish theatre is full of talented and energetic artists. Scottish theatre is being pulled apart by managers and bureaucrats.…

George Gunn: Meeting the gaze of of the rubble and How Keir Starmer placed his political image over the lives of those in Gaza

The following two articles were written in response to Sir Keir Starmer’s handling of the situation in Gaza over the SNP motion at Westminster.  The first, written by George Gunn  was posted in bella caledonia. The second was written by Adam Ramsay and was first posted by openDemocracy. A) MEETING THE GAZE OF THE GHOST…

King Charles and the Counting House

The following article by George Gunn was first posted by bella caledonia. It is  another  in George’s series ‘From the Province of the Cat’, which use humour, rooted in local common sense to challenge key features of Ukania, the UK state, in this case the role and reality behind the British  monarchy. KING CHARLES  AND…

Silent Singing and John Maclean

 George Gun has written this article first posted on bella caledonia.  It commemorates the 100th anniversary of John Maclean’s death on November 30th 1923.  It argues against Maclean’s death being viewed mainly as a historical commemoration for academic historians, but that his politics in the last year’s of his life are highly relevant to the…

The Separation Wall

The following article, written by George Gunn was first posted by bella caledonia. It looks at the horrors of what is happening in Gaza through particular Scottish eyes and the language of poetry. THE SEPARATION WALL The 1st of November is Samhain, the end of the harvest season and the first day of Winter in…

Love and magical thinking: from the Province of the Cat

The following article by George Gunn was first posted on bella caledonia,. LOVE AND MAGICAL THINKING FROM THE PROVINCE OF THE CAT Next year in September will be the tenth anniversary of the 2014 referendum campaign. Although the result was gut-wrenchingly disappointing those who were 16 then and first-time voters will be 26 in 2024,…

The real honours of Scotland

The following article by George Gunn from the Province of the Cat was first posted by bella caledonia. It links King Charles receiving the ‘Honours Scotland’ with the seizure of the land under feudalism. This continues  to this day, albeit it as aggressive capitalist expropriation. However  it  acknowledges its feudal forebears in the pomp and…

Your country – George Gunn

EL&SD is posting the new poem written by George Gunn. It highlights the continuing iniquity of land tenure in Scotland. YOUR COUNTRY   Your country is sold off in 45,000 acre parcels at £25 million a go by the inventor of the sticky back label who bought it from a down on his luck laird…

Ode to the Scottish Republic

George Gunn read the following poem at the republican rally on Calton Hill on the day of the coronation on Saturday 6th May. ODE TO THE SCOTTISH REPUBLIC        (Calton Hill, Edinburgh, 6.5.23) My allegiance is to the Scottish people to all people to be called a British subject & to swear allegiance to a…

What happens when it stops raining

The following article by George Gunn of the Province of the Cat. was first posted on bella caledonia. George argues that  on the absence and omnipresence of theatre in contemporary Scottish politics, and the players and actors involved. It’s time to re-write the script.   WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT STOPS RAINING? From The Province of…