Laurence Marshall guilty of yobbery????

[ali]

[Pal of Porty]

[foxy]

[Porty]

[ecm]

[Pal of Porty]

[Porty]

[Lawrence Marshall]

Lawrence Marshall guilty of anti-yobbery, more like!

I had intended to paste in here Ian Bell's offensive article of last Monday but "The Herald" forces you to pay for it - even for my own reply!
"The Herald" is a far better newspaper overall than "The Scotsman" but not in this regard. Nor in its choice of TV critic.
As you can read from the letter I sent in on Thursday to "The Herald", I'd rather read Robert McNeil than Ian Bell any day! Just a pity "The Herald" left that bit out when it published most of my letter today. And Robert McNeil's got a great sense of humour.
I really don't know Ian Bell from Adam but David Begg did once mention years ago that he had been at Portobello High School with him. Since he's not been in any way active in even the wider Portobello community these past 20-odd years, I can only judge him from what he writes. Pity he didn't help save Lismore Primary School last year, for instance. First time Labour had lost a vote in the city for 20 years - there's my commitment to the poorer areas of the greater Portobello area.
What he said about David Frost was unnecessary - but I guess he has to earn a crust somehow. I've just come off a 10-hour shift on the trains. And I'll be back at work tomorrow at 1712 and getting the night bus home.
I've seen a few yobs in my time - even had samples of their DNA removed from my face and clothing!
Just because Ian Bell comes from Magdalene doesn't make him right in what he wrote.
I was wrong to attack him in the way he attacked David Frost - see my letter below - but I still believe that his views, while "right on" to some, were expressed in a way deliberately designed to give offence.
He has shamed the good people of Magdalene.

Lawrence

* * * * *

letter of 2nd June 2005, published in "The Herald" on 4th June 2005:

Dear Sir,
I accept the view of those criticising me today (Letters, 30 May) that it probably wasn't the cleverest or most consistent of moves to hurl abuse at Ian Bell while criticising him for doing the same to Sir David Frost. Two wrongs don't make a right.
That that's not my usual mode of writing, however, illustrates all the more the anger I felt at Ian Bell's ungracious style of journalism.
I don't expect interviewers these days to be reverential but I do expect them to be polite and courteous. The arrogant sneer introduced by so-called "stars" such as Jeremy Paxman is uncalled for and, more importantly, in my view unproductive. David Frost gets far more out of his interviewees than ever Jeremy Paxman does. So let me be positive and praise Kirsty Wark, Edward Stourton, John Milne, Jim Naughtie, Gavin Esler, Tim Sebastian, etc.. As far as TV reviewers are concerned, Robert McNeil is both critical and wonderfully human.
Ian Bell may not "glitter" as much as some but it is undeniable that there is in Scottish society today a "gutter glitterati" whose relationship with communities under pressure is often parasitical. Irvine Welsh and Peter Mullan spring immediately to mind as guilty parties here. Yobs and drug dealers aren't my heroes. The ordinary folk who struggle at times to live fulfilling lives under these circumstances most certainly are.
I understand that David Frost isn't to everyone's taste but his career definitely hasn't been the "joke" that Ian Bell so offensively said it was.

Yours sincerely

Councillor Lawrence Marshall
The City of Edinburgh Council

[Porty]

[ali]

[Gemini]

Quote Lawrence:

Since he's not been in any way active in even the wider Portobello community these past 20-odd years, I can only judge him from what he writes.

Could mention some other's that have not been active in the wider Portobello community for more than 20 years!


Pity he didn't help save Lismore Primary School last year, for instance.

You would be singing a different tune then - should he have assisted the parent's residents, against the closure?

Get real Lawrence, we are aware who voted to save/axe Lismore Primary.
Come the next council election, I don't think the Lismore/Bingham community will forget who was on their side.


First time Labour had lost a vote in the city for 20 years

What a er!! and poor you lost your vice convenor status too, for a few months, although must say,well done for voting against the closure.


- there's my commitment to the poorer areas of the greater Portobello area.

Your a *

[mr magnolia]

maybe I've missed something, but what I don't understand is why LM's letter came from

"Councillor Lawrence Marshall
The City of Edinburgh Council"

WTF has CEC got to do with The Herald/Ian Bell?

[wangi]

Hey G, fancy translating the smileys?

[Gemini]

[ali]

[Gemini]

[Porty]

[Gemini]

[ali]

[Lawrence Marshall]

[Porty]

[Lawrence Marshall]

[Porty]

[sicker]

Lawrence, I find it hard to belief that if you were above average at, for example sport, that the railway would not accomodate any leave requirements you might have. Most large firms are usually only to happy to help talented staff.

John

[Dadaist]

[CatzVP]

[Porty]

[Dadaist]

[Porty]

Spooky.

In this Year's edition of Promenade, the PHS School magazine, there is a "Where are they now?" section for famous pupils. Ian Bell is featured as "Columnist of the Year"and in the little spiel about him there is a quote from Ian about the Labour Party Manifesto "The thing is 23,000 words long, handily ensuring that even Labour MP's won't get round to reading it"

Is there maybe more to Lawrence's attack than meets the eye? Have you read the manifesto Lawrence?

Incidentally, the magazine is excellent. The above mentioned article was written by John Ferrier, another Magdalene export. John may not be famous but he is very talented and has written quite a number of hit songs for bands such as Wet Wet Wet.