‘Big Energy’ concerns, Caithness bin woes and where there’s a will…
Nobody to speak up for us
As I travel around the Highlands trying to avoid the heartbreaking scars of industrialisation creeping across the landscape , I have become increasingly aware of the presence of the navy-and-green vehicles belonging to SSE.
I am either passing them parked at the side of the road, being overtaken by them, behind them or in a queue with at least one of them.
I encounter transporters with diggers and other large machinery careering around our narrow roads pushing me and others into the side and sometimes off the edge of the road as they pass.
When I am at home I hear helicopters hovering overhead, light aircraft weaving backwards and forwards and drones buzzing across the land and yet no planning applications have yet been submitted.
I am taken back to the awful time when the Beauly-Denny line was constructed. The sound of vehicles beeping, crushing and unloading rock and again the helicopters were shattering the peace. Our roads were a terrifying place to be as many involved in the devastation used them as little more than a race track.
I really don’t know how much more the communities can take. People are under incredible mental and financial stress. They see the lives they have built with hard work and passion being systematically dismantled by the insane reality that rural Scotland and its inhabitants have been sold out to the wealthy global investment companies who pretend they are concerned about the planet as they shatter the environment around us.
We are under occupation by Big Energy with SSE as the main aggressor in northern Scotland. They along with other multinationals also demand we accept even more massive swooshing wind turbines with demonic red flashing lights to be connected to a metallic jungle of transmission lines and sprawling substations, and energy traders inundate us with proposals for huge battery storage units; our precious silent black nights gone forever.
Where are our elected representatives? Too feart to speak up and needing a spine transplant before they will demand action to protect the people who voted them in. Precious few are on our side and those that are find little support from others.
What a shameful situation to be in. Our governments back the multinationals against us and close their ears and eyes to our pleas for help and our tears. I have never known anything so appalling and so chillingly widespread in a so-called democracy.
Those who sit on the fence and refuse to act will soon find their comfortable seats and political careers hanging on a shoogly peg as those they have so disgracefully let down seek to punish them at the ballot box.
Lyndsey Ward
Spokeswoman for Communities B4 Power Companies
Beauly
A load of rubbish?
BINS!!! Hi, me again on one of the MOST talked about local topics for quite a while!
Do explain why new bins, content and different time scheduling were so necessary… I think we have been sucked in to be workforce number one for this new trial.
Issy Currie
Castletown
Don’t leave worries behind for your family
None of us want our loved ones to be left with confusion or financial problems after we die – but that’s the stark reality many face. New figures show the majority of UK adults – 67 per cent according to a recent poll by Will Aid – still do not have a will in place.
The consequences of not having this vital legal document extend far beyond financial difficulties and can lead to significant emotional stress for those left behind.
This year’s campaign highlights two areas where a lack of planning could lead to unexpected hardships for families. First, a recent Will Aid survey uncovered that 68prer cent of cohabiting couples are unaware that they have no automatic right to inherit from each other without a will, regardless of how long they’ve been together or if they have children.
This knowledge gap puts thousands of families at risk of unforeseen financial challenges if a loved one passes without their intentions clearly documented.
Equally urgent is the issue of digital legacy. With 42 per cent of UK adults neglecting to address digital assets in their estate plans, many families may be left without access to important memories and vital information. Digital banking, social media accounts, and online photo storage have become an integral part of our lives, yet they are often overlooked when preparing a will.
Fortunately, Will Aid offers a straightforward way for people to secure their legacy and protect those they care about. Each November, participating solicitors across the UK volunteer their time to prepare basic wills, waiving their usual fees in exchange for a donation to Will Aid’s seven partner charities. These donations support much-needed work by Age UK, British Red Cross, Christian Aid, NSPCC, Save the Children, SCIAF and Trócaire.
Solicitors are also providing virtual appointments, making it easier than ever for people to address these essential steps in securing their wishes. To find a solicitor and schedule an appointment, visit www.willaid.org.uk.
Through this simple step, people can help protect their families from unnecessary hardship while supporting some of the UK’s most loved charities.
Peter de Vena Franks
Campaign director
Will Aid
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