Brisk start to polling despite the weather
“Hit’s no’ a day fir it!” some one joked. They were of course speaking about the referendum day weather – murky with lashing rain, not of Scotland’s brighter future?
At just before 7am at the polling station at the Gilbertson Games Hall in Lerwick there were already a dozen folk queuing to take part in this momentous day in Scottish history.
There seemed to be an atmosphere on this occasion that voting really mattered, compared with the distinct lack of that feeling at the last vote for the European elections. I met someone that was voting by proxy for her daughter who lives in London, she herself had voted by postal vote!
Being the second voter in my ward, polling officer Penelope Smith thanked me and said: “Dus dun dee duty!” "The first of many!” I replied and that was that.
I was again reminded of the story of the man at the Bells Brae School when it was a Polling booth, who said “Is yun it? Du you know git a cup o’ tea or somethin’?”.
Leaving Gibertson Park there was a constant stream of traffic in and out. It looks like it’s going to be a very busy day at the polling station at the Gilbertson at Lerwick if first thing this morning is anything to go by.
Stephen Gordon