I've recently had a couple of sessions of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in an attempt to alleviate some of the symptoms of Long Covid. There's been plenty of time for musing, recollection and recapitulation while in the Hyperbaric Chamber.
Today's reminiscing took me back to the mid 70's when I managed a community transport project in Edinburgh called Edinburgh Voluntary Transport. I say, "managed" but for a hippy trying to manage a group of even more anarchic hippies, 'manage' was a relative term.
About that time I became acquainted with one Anthony Robert McMillan, aka Robbie Coltrane, aka Hagrid and other acting roles. Robbie was, at that time, something of a motor mechanic. He had purchased a pre WWII Vauxhall to restore and sell on at a profit. Having failed to do that when he took the car to the Netherlands, he decided to find a more local buyer. Enter the Rt. Hon. Sir David Steel who at that time was leader of the Liberal Party and a vintage car enthusiast.
This was shortly after what had become to be known as The Norman Scott Affair. Scott a groom and male model alleged that he had an affair with the Rt. Hon. Jeremy Thorpe, the previous leader of the Liberal Party in the 1960's. In what seemed an attempt to shut him up, there was, in 1975, the attempted murder of Scott by one Andrew Newton who was arrested after shooting dead Scott's dog, Rinka. However, it was not until later that Scott's accusations against Thorpe became public.
I'll get to the point... One afternoon a number of us were standing in Haddon's Court in Edinburgh where Edinburgh Voluntary Transport was based. I recall, Aly Bain and the rest of Boys of the Lough were there and EVT staff members. Robbie drove into the courtyard and announced that he had just shown the car to David Steel. "Look Sir David - it has a nice big boot. Just enough room in here for a small, dead homosexual, if you break his legs!" Robbie's humour could be cruel.
Today's reminiscing took me back to the mid 70's when I managed a community transport project in Edinburgh called Edinburgh Voluntary Transport. I say, "managed" but for a hippy trying to manage a group of even more anarchic hippies, 'manage' was a relative term.
About that time I became acquainted with one Anthony Robert McMillan, aka Robbie Coltrane, aka Hagrid and other acting roles. Robbie was, at that time, something of a motor mechanic. He had purchased a pre WWII Vauxhall to restore and sell on at a profit. Having failed to do that when he took the car to the Netherlands, he decided to find a more local buyer. Enter the Rt. Hon. Sir David Steel who at that time was leader of the Liberal Party and a vintage car enthusiast.
This was shortly after what had become to be known as The Norman Scott Affair. Scott a groom and male model alleged that he had an affair with the Rt. Hon. Jeremy Thorpe, the previous leader of the Liberal Party in the 1960's. In what seemed an attempt to shut him up, there was, in 1975, the attempted murder of Scott by one Andrew Newton who was arrested after shooting dead Scott's dog, Rinka. However, it was not until later that Scott's accusations against Thorpe became public.
I'll get to the point... One afternoon a number of us were standing in Haddon's Court in Edinburgh where Edinburgh Voluntary Transport was based. I recall, Aly Bain and the rest of Boys of the Lough were there and EVT staff members. Robbie drove into the courtyard and announced that he had just shown the car to David Steel. "Look Sir David - it has a nice big boot. Just enough room in here for a small, dead homosexual, if you break his legs!" Robbie's humour could be cruel.
