WILLIAM WHO? 700 YEARS AFTER HE WAS EXECUTED WALLACE GETS CHOP AGAIN - FROM SCOTS
By Lesley Roberts And Natasha Weale
SCOTLAND'S greatest ever patriot surely deserves better ... Seven hundred years after he was publicly executed, William Wallace is being subjected to a final humiliation. But not by the English.
This time, the freedom fighter is being slighted by his fellow Scots.
The Wallace-mania stirred up by Mel Gibson's Braveheart 10 years ago seems to have settled back down to apathy.
On August 23, the date of Wallace's death, there will be no national commemorations.
There are no plans to stage events along the lines of those held last month to mark the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar and the death of Admiral Lord Nelson.
In Scotland, the anniversary of his death will pass with barely a whimper.
The First Minister's plans to publicly mark the date seem to extend no further than attending a gala dinner at Stirling Castle. But it will be for invited guests only.
A Scottish Executive spokesman triedto explain away the apathy, saying: ``Well the 23rd is a Tuesday - a midweek day.
``I mean, it doesn't really suit many people, does it?
``I would expect the First Minister or the minister for tourism, culture and sport, Patricia Ferguson, will acknowledge the anniversary on the day itself.
``But there are no further details at the moment. It's still being organisedDavid Ross, convener of the William Wallace Society, feels that's pathetic.
He is on a one-man, 450-mile walk from Robroyston in Glasgow, where Wallace was captured, to London, were he was executed.
David, an author and historian, said: ``What makes us Scots is that we share a common history and we have to acknowl-edge that history. ``It seems only natural we would look to our leaders in the Scottish Parliament to lead the way.
``But sadly, when it comes to knowing what the people want, it seems the filmmakers in Hollywood have a better understanding than the politicians do.''
Not that the apathy extends to all Scots. David's long slog has been eased by words of encouragement as he crossed the border into England.
He said: ``I've just received a phone call from Sean Connery, telling me how proud he was of what I'm doing.''
Wallace was executed on August 23, 1305, accused of being a traitor to the English king Edward IThe 35-year-old warrior was hanged, drawn and quartered and his head impaled on a spike near London Bridge as a warning to other would-be rebels.
His remains were ultimately destroyed, so that there would be no shrine for his followers to visit.
St Bartholomew's Church in Smithfield, where Wallace was put to death, has become the focus for those who want to mark his life.
And that's where David will end his walk, leading a service for 300 people.
But Westminster Hall could easily be the venue for a Wallace tribute.
He stood trial there and was found guilty of betraying a monarch to whom he had never sworn allegiance. A plaque bears testimony to that.
But it looks as though Stirling Council, and one or two other local authorities, will be left to carry the torch for Wallace. They have been staging various events throughout the year
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