Anniversaries

 Today 11th April, the 101st day of the year, is the anniversary of the return of the "Stone of Destiny" to Scotland after repatriation on Christmas Day 1950 from Westminster Abbey. Some claim it is Jacob's pillow stone. Others claim it is not the real-deal. However, symbolically, it was left on the alter of Arbroath Abbey in 1951, the place where the Scottish declaration of independence (from England) was forged -  The Declaration of Arbroath. Once the police discovered it's whereabouts it was returned to London in time for the current Queen's coronation, yet it eventually made it's way back here, luckily landing up at Edinburgh Castle on St. Andrew's Day, 30th November (30/11) 1996.

Today the BBC reports, in a small article, of how a huge military exercise is to be located in Scotland. It begins on the 15th of this month and climaxes on the 29th. From the linked report we read more on the war games, which comprise troops from 10 different countries:

The Royal Marine Commandos will make a landing at Barry Buddon training camp in Angus, near Dundee.

 Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said the exercise will ensure the forces are prepared "to meet any challenge".

"They give us the chance to test the way the different services and different nations work together, something that is vital in a multilateral world," he added.

The exercise will involve 13,000 military personnel in total, including forces from Sweden, Germany, Brazil and the US.

Note that Barry Buddon (22?) is only 9 miles or so from Arbroath.

Note too that Prince William's 2nd (paper) wedding anniversary is also the 29th April,  that he met Kate at St. Andrew's University where they both studied, and that the Roman numeral 10 is an X, as per the St. Andrew's Cross. Don't forget the Pope and  disgraced Cardinal O'Brien praying over the bones of St. Andrew, just after the Pontiff's historic meeting with the Queen at Holyrood, and also other "coincidences" which surround the 11th April,  most pertinently William of Orange and his House of Stuart wife Mary being crowned joint sovereigns of  the United Kingdom in 1689, 311 years before the 20th century -although their reign started on 13th February.

Curiously, Protestant, William of Orange loyal, football club, Glasgow Rangers, filed legal papers to enter administration on 13th February 2012, under the direction of their then owner, Craig Whyte. They entered administration the following - Valentine's - day.  It's something I have written a lot about here, seeing it as highly symbolic, but suffice to say that today the tabloids newspapers are full of the story that Craig's Scottish abode - Castle Grant - was yesterday raided by the police, in an attempt to gather evidence re his alleged dodgy Rangers takeover dealings (here). Castle Grant has an interesting history.
 

Winged Wills - on 11/4

cheers

Note - I wrote about 11/4  just a few posts ago.




wiki - Stone of Destiny