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Official opening by Alex Salmond MP.
Chairman’s speech
Part 1
Welcome / fit like everyone
to the Banffshire Maritime Heritage Association official opening of our
2006 exhibition.
It’s great to have a
dedicated building such as this and even more special that we have a lease
for next year as well, so setting up next year should be a doddle. We
also have an old wash house out the back which I hope to fix-up during the
winter and open in 2007. We also intend to have a feature at the gable
end, we have an anchor already and we’re looking for some lifebuoys and
some timber posts 3 or 4 inches in size.
I’d like now to thank the
committee and volunteers for their efforts and also to our sponsors and
local people who have loaned or donated items for the exhibition without
all of them it could not have happened. I said right from the start this
is a community project and it would only be a success with the backing of
the community, so thanks to you all.
When I thought about asking
someone to come to Macduff to open this exhibition two names came to mind,
first was Alex and second was Ross Finnie. Why Ross Finnie? Well we have
a master net-man here ‘Liam Sparke’ and he has a wee present for the
Fisheries Minister. Yes it’s a hangman’s noose specially made for Mr
Finnie and it symbolises the stranglehold that the CFP has on our fishing
industry. Alex, he also has one for you; no it’s not a noose, it’s a bag
he’s specially made solely from fishing twine with a braided handle.
Seriously it’s a great
honour and a privilege to have with us Alex Salmond our local MP and
leader of the SNP, Alex is constantly speaking up in parliament for our
fishing industry and I can’t think of anyone more fitting to open this
exhibition.
Part 2
Can we have a big thanks to
Alex for officially opening this exhibition. Alex in my opinion is the
most passionate MP in the UK and possibly the world. Alex is passionate
about politics, passionate about Scotland, and most importantly passionate
about the people of Scotland.
I’d like to wish him a’ the
best for the 2007 elections and I now invite him back here for next years
opening not as our MP but as the ‘First Minister of Scotland’.
Labour we canna trust onymare,
there’s a crisis in the SSP,
the Tories hivnae got a chunce,
mi vote, is wi the SNP!
And Alex,
as you approach,
the ‘Zenith’ of your career,
move forward with your usual strength and passion,
history in the making is so near!
Have faith in your work,
have faith in what you can achieve,
have faith in yourself, Alex
and make others believe!
And if it’s meant to happen,
by God happen it will,
but it won’t happen by itself,
there’ll be no standing still.
So give us your strategy,
give us your plan,
give us something plain and simple,
something that the people can understand.
And if you tell the people of Scotland,
honestly what you intend to do,
you will win their hearts,
and the country will come to you!
Stanley Bruce
Chairman |
