Operation Megalithic Lift - The Stones and the Stars: Building Scotland's Newest Megalith - page 198

F IG . 7.8 Turnbull cartoon, Herald Diary , Nov 1978
magical. No one remembered to ask for planning permission, with
the result that the whole project has been halted…” and ended
with the inevitable quote from an anonymous Glasgow councillor
who “summed it up best when he asked, 'How come the Druids
managed it without planning permission or helicopters?'” [ 5 ].
After other projects had suffered similar derision John Braith-
waite, who had started an Urban Legend for a bet when he was a
student [ 6 ], decided it was time for a hoax. The Glasgow subway
system, 'the biggest toy train set in the world,' was in a major
upgrade at the time, with the biggest excavation just downhill
from our office in Buchanan Street. John got together with other
victims to start a rumor that a prehistoric fern seed had been found
in the excavation and passed to Special Projects for rearing, only to
be eaten by the office cat. Sadly, despite fake telex messages and
lunchtime visits to the bar by the Daily Record to talk about the
story, the paper failed to bite.
Once the foundation design had been modified, planning
approval was granted without difficulty. There was brief confusion
when it looked as if the stones had to be half-buried, but that was
resolved with some sketches and measurements added by Gavin
Roberts (Fig. 7.9 ).
However, now a bigger practical problem had arisen, regard-
ing the lifting operation itself. Although elaborate slinging of the
stones had been discussed, allowing the helicopter to hook on to