The Cursing Stone of Carlisle

Sometimes, you’ve just got to wonder at people. I mean, really… Otherwise intelligent folk throw reason to the wind when faced with a good old superstition.

The “cursing” stone, designed by a descendant of the cross border “reivers” who used to steal cattle, pillage and other unsavoury stuff, was commissioned to mark the Millennium and going by the picture on the BBC’s website looks a fine piece of artwork. Well, it appeals to me anyway – all that granite with black lettering across it – simple and eyecatching, I thought.

And that is all it is, a piece of artwork – is not responsible for the following:

Since the Cursing Stone was placed in Carlisle, the city has suffered floods, foot-and-mouth disease, job losses and a goal famine for the football team.

For crying out loud! Floods are caused by natural phenomena – they’ve been happening all over the UK in recent years. The cause is not a

1,069-word 16th Century curse.

It is global warming; a natural phenomenon exacerbated by mankind. Foot and mouth affected the whole country and was caused by one farmer feeding his animals infected food. Job losses are just part of the cycle the economy goes through – it isn’t confined to Carlisle and as for the football results – Jeez! It’s just a game and a bloody stupid one at that. Maybe they are suffering a famine of goals because they’re not very good at it. Did that occur to anyone?

The person kicking up a stink about it is city councillor Jim Tootle who wants the stone destroyed and has tabled a motion to discuss it on 8^th March. If he really believes in ancient curses, I would suggest his constituents seek a by-election pretty damn quick as the man is unfit to represent them. Has he nothing better on his plate than this?

Clearly not.