Can I have a 'P' please Bob - Scotland

[Glengavel]

Why do I get the feeling no-one wants to answer this?

I think Tim is going to be awarded the prize, unless someone identifies the three in the original question.

[rohan]

Tim's got it. Having googled Bud Neill all the characters are there. on Wiki. There are obviously few Glaswegians of the right vintage on this site to get this lovely poser. Thanks to Glengavel for expanding my (non Glaswegian) knowledge although I think I had heard of the Fairy Nuff character.

[HalfManHalfTitanium]

Sorry, very busy with work at the moment!

I was only aware of the work of Bud Neill through another statue "G.I. Bride" which stands in Partick railway station. I was aware that there were other statues featuring his work, but I finally had a chance to check on Wikipedia.

It says that there is in fact a single statue, but with three characters, in Woodlands Road -

"Statue erected by public subscription on 1 May 1992 to the memory of Bud Neill, 1911-1970, cartoonist & poet, creator of Lobey Dosser, Sheriff of Calton Creek, his sturdy steed El Fideldo, resident villain Rank Bajin, and many other characters."

El Fideldo is also known as Elfie. It is unique because it is the only statue in the world showing a two legged horse.

As none of the characters were slave owners or the like, they are safe, as Glengavel notes, from the recent removal of some statues. But the statue has had to be repaired on one occasion after being vandalised by "rank bajins"!

tim

[Sgurr]

Like Rohan, my knowledge needed improving. At least I don't sit here thinking that I really should have got it.

[CharlesT]

Like Rohan, my knowledge needed improving. At least I don't sit here thinking that I really should have got it.

Ditto, way outside my knowledge comfort zone. Ne'er 'eard of 'im, as they say.

[Glengavel]

I am pleased to have expanded everyone's literary knowledge.

[HalfManHalfTitanium]

Thanks Glengavel!

AC, L, S, L, S, B, L,, M, I - what is the link between these?

- all except AC are places in Scotland. Some of them are bigger than others.
- AC is a person - not a Scot, they were from Lancashire, although their name looked more Scottish, after a change of name. The initials AC fit both pre and post change names
- the link is a three letter phrase. Two words of the phrase appear in this puzzle.

Tim

[HalfManHalfTitanium]

Durr, what am I like! I meant three WORD phrase, not three letter phrase!

In recompense here’s an extra clue. The word of the three word phrase that does not appear in the puzzle is another name of a place - but outside Scotland this time.

Tim

[HalfManHalfTitanium]

Extra clues

AC did what they were famous for for nearly 58 years - which I think broke one or more records.

Although some of the places in Scotland are large, they are all completely dwarfed by the place mentioned in the three word phrase!

tim

[HalfManHalfTitanium]

No guesses yet, so time for clue luxury!!! -

- two picture clues, and an extra clue

Extra clue - one of the two historical events referenced appears in the name of this website...

tim

[rohan]

Alistair Cooke, Letter from America. Scottish link the song Letter from America by the Proclaimers and I am desperately trying to remember all the places they named which will fit the list of letters you gave..

[CharlesT]

Alistair Cooke, Letter from America. Scottish link the song Letter from America by the Proclaimers and I am desperately trying to remember all the places they named which will fit the list of letters you gave..

I know who Alastair Cooke was, who/what are the Proclaimers?

[HalfManHalfTitanium]

Alistair Cooke, Letter from America. Scottish link the song Letter from America by the Proclaimers and I am desperately trying to remember all the places they named which will fit the list of letters you gave..

Spot on - the folk duo The Proclaimers used the title of Alistair (formerly Alfred) Cooke’s long running broadcasts to link two dark episodes in Scotland’s history - the decimation of Scottish industrial communities in the 1980s, and the Highland clearances and subsequent emigration to the USA, Canada etc.

There are four areas of the Highlands that saw many clearances listed in the song, which are then reprised as four places that suffered mass redundancies. Gartcosh Steelworks, after its closure in Feb 1986, is shown on the record cover.

Over to you!

Tim

[rohan]

I am currently having problems with the Internet, engineer coming monday. I will post a puzzle shortly but I seem to get about 5 mins on line at a time and then posts take an age to get delivered. NB I remembered Lochaber, Sutherland, Lewis, Skye and Motherwell from the song but then couldn't get back on line to post those. Your clues certainly helped the penny to drop, although I was looking at island connections earlier in the week.
Charles, The Proclaimers are a pair of singing twin brothers from Fife, very well known in Scotland and you may have heard of "I'll walk 500 miles" which was parodied in Comic Relief one year (with the full endorsement of the brothers). "Letter from America" was their first hit.

[HalfManHalfTitanium]

I am currently having problems with the Internet, engineer coming monday. I will post a puzzle shortly but I seem to get about 5 mins on line at a time and then posts take an age to get delivered. NB I remembered Lochaber, Sutherland, Lewis, Skye and Motherwell from the song but then couldn't get back on line to post those. Your clues certainly helped the penny to drop, although I was looking at island connections earlier in the week.
Charles, The Proclaimers are a pair of singing twin brothers from Fife, very well known in Scotland and you may have heard of "I'll walk 500 miles" which was parodied in Comic Relief one year (with the full endorsement of the brothers). "Letter from America" was their first hit.

No problem Rohan - you have got it!

CharlesT, here is a taste of the Proclaimers

"All the blood that flowed away
Across the ocean to the second chance
I wonder how it got on
When it reached the promised land?
I've looked at the ocean
Tried hard to imagine
The way you felt the day you sailed
From Wester Ross to Nova Scotia

Lochaber no more
Sutherland no more
Lewis no more
Skye no more

I wonder my blood
Will you ever return?
To help us kick the life back
To a dying mutual friend
Do we not love her?
Do we not say we love her?
Do we have to roam the world
To prove how much it hurts?

Bathgate no more
Linwood no more
Methil no more
Irvine no more"