More than 200 angry people made their voices heard at a protest against controversial plans to re-name celebrated 17th century Linlithgow pub the Black Bitch, writes Stewart McConnell.
And organiser Murdoch Kennedy paid tribute to people, aged from six to 90 who turned out on Saturday to vent their anger at the decision to change the name of the popular establishment to the Black Hound.
Now they plan to take this all the way to the top – the Scottish Government.
Owners Greene King announced its intention to change the name, claiming it now carries racist and offensive connotations.
The Black Bitch in Linlithgow dates back to at least the 17th century and was originally named for a black, female greyhound that features on the town’s heraldic crest and symbolises a well-known local legend of a hunting dog that saved its master’s life.
However, Greene King say that while the name was not originally racist and would not have been seen as offensive, the way that language has evolved now means that the pub’s name carries a very different meaning.
Murdoch said: “The good thing was we had all ages at the protest, there were kids aged six, mums and dads and old ones.
“It has been moved on from just being about the pub - it’s about history.
“People are against the whole thing. It’s an attack on the town’s history and our slur.
“The local sheltered housing complex has a sign out saying ‘hands off our history. We want Greene King to speak to us but they have not.
“We have suggested to keep the name but underneath it have a banner saying it’s the town’s emblem.
“The town band even have the black bitch emblem on their sleeves. Greene King have picked on the wrong folk.
“They thought this issue was going to go away but it’s not.
“Moves are now being made to consult Scottish Government Culture Secretary Angus Robertson over this.”
West Lothian Provost Tom Kerr opposes the plans and met Greene King on Monday.
He said: “It was a good conversation. I asked if the company had representations from organisations in West Lothian and they said it was a decision purely and singly of Greene King.
“They will go through due process of changing the name. I expressed my concerns about it and now won’t be able to speak in any council meetings about it.
“This is not the right thing to do as it sends out the wrong message. Concerns about the word bitch came out of America but it only became an independent nation in the late 1700s and the term of the black bitch in Linlithgow goes back to the Stuart Dynasty.”
Speaking ahead of the demonstration, Greene King CEO, Nick Mackenzie, said: “This is an important decision to take but we feel strongly that it is the right one. “We are well-aware of the pub’s history and where the name originates and so we are choosing a new name that still reflects the pub’s history and will look to retain the coat of arms and images on the pub’s sign.
“We have spent many months reviewing and discussing this as we understand that changing this name will attract a range of views, but as part of our commitment to being an anti-racist organisation we want our pub names to be welcoming and inclusive and that means taking action when there is a need to make a positive change for the better.”
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