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Topic: Snowdrops for the Bairns
1. Author:  desparado        
Date: Wed 8th Jan 2025. 14:48


Will pop along for this…..


January Meeting
Tuesday 21st January: 7pm: Abbeyview Bowling Club
Film "Snowdrops for the Bairns", introduced by Leah Gunn Barrett

This film shows how, after the terrible shooting of children and teachers at Dunblane, the Snowdrop Campaign was successful in getting U.K. gun laws toughened up to make it much less likely that such a tragedy could be repeated. Just one example of Scotland leading the way.

Bar, tea, coffee, biscuits. Free entry. All welcome. Bring friends.

What an opportunity we missed in 2014.

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2. Author:  veteraneastender        
Date: Wed 8th Jan 2025. 18:32

No reflection on the excellent work initiated by the Snowdrop Campaign, however I suspect a root and branch review of the Firearms Act 1968 was inevitable after the tragic events at Dunblane.

The reform lobby were pushing against an open door.



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3. Author:  red-star-par        
Date: Wed 8th Jan 2025. 18:32

That sounds like it will be very interesting, cheers. The only good thing to come out of the tragedy was the way people came together to try and get legislation like this in place to help lessen the chances of it happening again.

It`s a pity the masonic cover up prevents us learning the full story for 100 years

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4. Author:  GG Riva        
Date: Thu 9th Jan 2025. 18:41

red-star-par, Wed 8 Jan 18:32

That sounds like it will be very interesting, cheers. The only good thing to come out of the tragedy was the way people came together to try and get legislation like this in place to help lessen the chances of it happening again.

It`s a pity the masonic cover up prevents us learning the full story for 100 years


The murderer was a completely unstable individual. He was a "shooter" and legally held a considerable collection of firearms that he used at a gun club. For reasons unclear, his membership of the club was cancelled. No explanation was offered. He didn`t take it well.

After the Hungerford massacre, he voluntarily handed in his £1500 repeating rifle and wrote to Michael Forsyth, MP, to express his horror. He was awarded £750 compensation for the gun. A number of rumours started circulating about him on SM. He was investigated by the police but no charges were brought. As a result of these his lets for gyms used for boys` gymnastics classes in Dunblane, Queen Anne HS and Woodmill HS were cancelled. Again no explanation was given. He wrote to both Central and Fife regions, demanding to know why the lets had been cancelled. He was ignored. A short time after this, he committed that unspeakable, horrendous crime.

With the benefit of hindsight, this tragedy might have been avoided.



Not your average Sunday League player.


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5. Author:  Buspasspar        
Date: Fri 10th Jan 2025. 17:12

As could many many others GG

We are forever shaped by the Children we once were


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6. Author:  veteraneastender        
Date: Fri 10th Jan 2025. 22:21

If only the recommendation of police Sgt.Hughes could have been actioned, however his seniors considered there were no justifiable grounds not to renew Hamilton’s licence.

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7. Author:  Highway_Star        
Date: Fri 24th Jan 2025. 12:00

Hamilton attempted to join a club in Fife. The committee and membership did not take to him at all, so his full membership was not granted. The chairman of that club wrote to Stirling Police who were responsible for his licence, informing them of the club`s position. I cannot remember if that was a legal requirement as a Home Office approved club, or if they just felt it was the morally correct thing to do.

The club were impolitely told to mind their own business, and that their input was not welcome.

The loss of every single one of those lives and the injuries was entirely preventable.

Something very dark bubbles under the surface of that atrocity.



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8. Author:  TAFKA_Super_Petrie        
Date: Fri 24th Jan 2025. 13:39

He probably had clubs over most of the old Central Region area.

Recurring theme was they started with pretty healthy numbers and then eventually folded and disbanded after 18-24 months in a lot of cases as numbers dwindled and folk just lost interest and were fed up with how strict he was and the way it was run, of course he would never acknowledge that as a legitimate reason and always have a chip on his shoulder that there was a witch hunt against him and folk (parents) spreading malicious rumours.

He would rinse and repeat this cycle over the years and move from area to area, eventually must have ran out of places in and around Stirling and moved onto Alloa, Stenny, Denny etc and as GG mentioned above into Fife which i wasn`t aware of untill now.

---------------------------------------------------------------


[b]"People always talk about Ronaldinho and magic, but I didn't see him today. I saw Henrik Larsson; that's where the magic was."[/b]


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9. Author:  Buster_Brown        
Date: Fri 24th Jan 2025. 13:59

Hamilton did run clubs in and around Dunfermline, I attended one that was active at Woodmill High School, maybe a year or so before Dunblane.

I didn’t know it at the time but my Mum pulled me from it after rumours started building that inappropriate things had happened at camps and clubs that he had run previously. Very often he would have “shirt v skins” basketball matches and lads running around in pants if they didn’t have shorts….that kind of thing. When the rumours came about and my Mum found this out, she was just uneasy. I think it didn’t last much longer, but I don’t know.

Spooky old thing, I still remember him and I still remember how uneasy he made me feel as a youngster.

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10. Author:  veteraneastender        
Date: Fri 24th Jan 2025. 14:02

"Hamilton attempted to join a club in Fife. The committee and membership did not take to him at all, so his full membership was not granted. The chairman of that club wrote to Stirling Police who were responsible for his licence, informing them of the club`s position. I cannot remember if that was a legal requirement as a Home Office approved club, or if they just felt it was the morally correct thing to do."

Possibly because Central Scotland Police had no administrative responsibility for rifle clubs in Fife, so any problems there should have been taken to Fife Constabulary in the first instance ?



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11. Author:  Highway_Star        
Date: Fri 24th Jan 2025. 16:51

He lived in the Central constabulary area, they were responsible for issuing his FAC. It`s not uncommon for shooting club members to live in a different area from where the club is active.

My real point being, concerns about that individual were ignored by those with the authority to act on them.

I suspect Fife Constabulary were also made aware of the committee`s decision at the time too. Although I couldn`t say for sure.



Post Edited (Fri 24 Jan 16:53)

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12. Author:  veteraneastender        
Date: Sat 25th Jan 2025. 16:48

"My real point being, concerns about that individual were ignored by those with the authority to act on them."

Concerns were raised several years before Det.Sgt. Hughes recommendations.

(url) https://www.independent.co.uk/news/inquiry-told-hamilton-slipped-through-net-1328054.html(/url)



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13. Author:  buffy        
Date: Sat 25th Jan 2025. 17:30


Use square brackets VEE 😊

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/inquiry-told-hamilton-slipped-through-net-1328054.html

”Buffy’s Buns are the finest in Fife”, J. Spence 2019”

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14. Author:  veteraneastender        
Date: Sun 26th Jan 2025. 09:55

A senior moment Buffy.

No.1 son and heir was in one of Hamilton’s clubs. We got letters home headed Stirling Association of Boys’ Clubs - it all appeared kosher, until we later discovered there was no such organisation, he’d made it up and was self appointed secretary.

The teacher tragically killed in Dunblane knew my late father professionally, he was headie at the primary where she sometimes worked.

My wife also knew her through school work and staff social stuff.

A policeman friend of mine was the second officer to arrive on the scene, he won’t talk about it.

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15. Author:  NMCmassive        
Date: Fri 31st Jan 2025. 10:23

veteraneastender, Sun 26 Jan 09:55

A senior moment Buffy.

No.1 son and heir was in one of Hamilton’s clubs. We got letters home headed Stirling Association of Boys’ Clubs - it all appeared kosher, until we later discovered there was no such organisation, he’d made it up and was self appointed secretary.

The teacher tragically killed in Dunblane knew my late father professionally, he was headie at the primary where she sometimes worked.

My wife also knew her through school work and staff social stuff.

A policeman friend of mine was the second officer to arrive on the scene, he won’t talk about it.


I really feel for ppl like your policeman friend. Walking into pure evil and having to deal with it. I genuinely don’t know how or if I could handle that type of scenario

COYP

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16. Author:  veteraneastender        
Date: Sat 1st Feb 2025. 12:48

Another cop acquaintance told me some of the despicable approaches that the usual suspect newspapers descended to in order to get story stuff.

When the news started to break a "journalist" from one down London `phoned the police office here and made out he was calling from the Met to ask for details etc.

When asked to provide his rank, name, station location and personal number for a quick call back he hung up immediately.



Post Edited (Sat 01 Feb 12:50)

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17. Author:  red-star-par        
Date: Sat 1st Feb 2025. 19:59

veteraneastender, Sat 1 Feb 12:48

Another cop acquaintance told me some of the despicable approaches that the usual suspect newspapers descended to in order to get story stuff.

When the news started to break a "journalist" from one down London `phoned the police office here and made out he was calling from the Met to ask for details etc.

When asked to provide his rank, name, station location and personal number for a quick call back he hung up immediately.



That could have been anyone though, how did they know it was a journalist?

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18. Author:  veteraneastender        
Date: Mon 3rd Feb 2025. 15:44

"That could have been anyone though, how did they know it was a journalist?"

I believe the withhold number function on telephones is ineffective if calling emergency services and police.

To deter hoax calls I would think.



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