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Forword

Having completed two series of ‘Northern Folk’, I realized the great contribution of Scottish people to the present well-being of the people that live not only the British Isles, but also the world in general. Scottish scientists, inventors and writers pioneered positive change for the better; even in the present day at least four ministers lead our nation in the inner cabinet in Parliament, all are Scottish.

In my opinion I feel that one of the greatest discoveries ever made was that of Penicillin, by Alexander Fleming. This discovery saved millions of lives – not only in times of war but also in peacetime. Around one hundred years ago, thousands of people were dying of consumption, tuberculosis, bronchitis and other related complaints brought on by our climate. People were dying in middle age. Penicillin brought about a cure, for which millions of people were grateful including myself. In 2003 it was alleged in the Media that the British N.H.S. issued a thirty million pound lawsuit against seven different pharmaceutical firms accused of plotting to raise the price of penicillin-based drugs, which amounts to some two hundred million pounds sterling.

The invention of the telephone by Alexander Graham Bell and television by John Logie Baird progressed communications enormously. Wonderful romance was created and supplied by poets and authors like Walter Scott and Robbie Burns, not forgetting Robert Louis Stevenson and his wonderful ‘Treasure Island’, Kidnapped, ‘Ivanhoe’ to mention just a few. The stories created healthy adventure and excitement, especially for our children. Napier and Symington contributed without doubt to the modern ocean going ships used in the present day, John Macadam revolutionized the road making process throughout our islands & the world, making travelling safer. In conclusion Ian Fleming was a Navy Commander & a brilliant espionage agent working for SIS during the war, after the war he wrote the Bond stories that later grossed over a $1 billion worldwide as films, completing a volume of wonderful Scottish Folk’: