SCOTS Project - www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk Document : 671 Title : Dipper: 59 - The Great Conifer Con Author(s): Dr James A Begg Copyright holder(s): Dr James A Begg Text The recent conversion of Mrs. Thatcher and her Government from Cobalt Blue to 'Green' will only impress sceptical environmentalists, whose warnings of many of the present impending natural calamities facing the world were pooh-poohed by successive Governments ten or fifteen years ago, when Ministerial double-talk gives way to positive, enthusiastic action. The following two poems, in English for a wider appreciation, say it all! The Environmental Minister Dreamed up a wizard wheeze - - At first glance nothing sinister - He swore he meant to please The Environmental Lobby, And put them at their ease, When he stopped T.Wogan's hobby Of avoiding Tax with Trees. Had 'Our Leaders' shown rare qualities; Seen the folly of their ways; Of pursuing ancient policies That date back to the days When trees were chopped to prop the pits, Smelt steel, build ships of oak? - The pits have gone, steel's had a blitz, Shipbuilding's now a joke! Alas! The 'Guardians' of our Land, Ignoring counsels sane; Dogmatic minds and grasping hand Obsessed with private gain; Have pandered to the Men of Means, Of Profit, Power and 'Yields', With a doubled grant for evergreens To scar hills, moors and fields! To such men, conservation means: 'Conserve the Ruling Class, To Hell with soft idyllic scenes - For where there's muck there's Brass!' Our landscape goes from bad to worse, And now to cap it all, They rob poor Peter Public's purse, To pay rich Private Paul! This work is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. The SCOTS Project and the University of Glasgow do not necessarily endorse, support or recommend the views expressed in this document. Information about document and author: Text Text audience General public: Audience size: 1000+ Text details Method of composition: Handwritten Year of composition: 1988 Word count: 246 General description: Anthology of prizewinning and other Scots poems, and short stories in Ayrshire Scots. Text medium Book: Radio: Other: Audiocassette Text publication details Published: Publisher: Luath Press Publication year: 1991 Place of publication: Barr, Ayrshire ISBN/ISSN: 0946487227 Edition: First Part of larger text: Contained in: The Dipper an the Three Wee Deils: Tales and Poems in Ayrshire Scots Editor: Authors: Dr. J. A. Begg and J. Reid Page numbers: 145 Text setting Leisure/entertainment: Private/personal: Text type Poem/song/ballad: Author Author details Author id: 623 Title: Dr Forenames: James Initials: A Surname: Begg Gender: Male Decade of birth: 1940 Educational attainment: University Age left school: 17 Upbringing/religious beliefs: Protestantism Occupation: Medical Practitioner Place of birth: New Cumnock Region of birth: S Ayr Birthplace CSD dialect area: Ayr Country of birth: Scotland Place of residence: Ayr Region of residence: S Ayr Residence CSD dialect area: Ayr Country of residence: Scotland Father's occupation: Clerical Officer, NCB Father's place of birth: Sandbank Father's region of birth: Argyll Father's birthplace CSD dialect area: Arg Father's country of birth: Scotland Mother's occupation: Primary Teacher Mother's place of birth: New Cumnock Mother's region of birth: S Ayr Mother's birthplace CSD dialect area: Ayr Mother's country of birth: Scotland Languages: Language: Danish Speak: No Read: No Write: No Understand: No Circumstances: A little Language: English Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: Home, socially, at work Language: French Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: Holidaying in France Language: Norwegian Speak: No Read: No Write: No Understand: No Circumstances: A little Language: Scots Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: Home, socially, at work