18 May 2014 SCOTS AND SASSENACHS: A TURBULENT RELATIONSHIP 1314 - 2014.
$20.00
In a similar way that the battlefield of Gallipoli in 1915 is seen as a defining moment in the nation-building of both New Zealand and Australia, the field of Bannockburn in 1314 arguably be identified as a key moment in the history of Scotland and in the country's turbulent relationship with England. It was not that Scots and Sassenachs hadn't come to blows before, but in 1314, in the words of the popular and informal anthem, Flowers of Scotland, 'proud Edward's armies' were sent 'homeward, Tae think again'. After centuries of border conflict, 'rough wooing' and Union of the Crowns, there was a marriage of convenience in 1707. But as 'the autumn leaves lie thick and still' this coming September in Scotland there is a Referendum which encourages the aspirations that 'We can still rise now, And be that nation again'. This afternoon session will explore the history, the relationship, and the options for the United Kingdom.
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