Welcome back to This Day in Scottish History. I’m your host, Colin MacDonald. Today, we journey back to December 8, 1972, when Wendy Wood, one of Scotland's most colorful and passionate advocates for independence, began her hunger strike for Scottish Home Rule. Wood’s bold action was yet another chapter in a lifetime of tireless campaigning for Scotland’s self-governance.

Born Gwendoline Emily Meacham on October 29, 1892, in Maidstone, Kent, Wood was an unlikely figure to become a symbol of Scottish nationalism. Raised in South Africa, her father was both a brewery manager and a painter, and her artistic lineage ran deep—her maternal grandfather, Samuel Peploe Wood, was a sculptor, and her great-uncle, Thomas Peploe Wood, was a painter.

In 1927, she adopted her mother’s maiden name to emphasize her Scottish roots, famously defending her right to campaign for Scotland by quipping, “One does not have to be a horse to be born in a stable.”

Wood’s career was eclectic. She was a gifted artist, sculptor, and writer, but it was her theatrical activism that made her a household name. A co-founder of the National Party of Scotland in 1928—later to merge into the Scottish National Party—Wood’s vision extended beyond party politics. By the 1930s, she championed a non-party approach to the cause of Scottish independence, often resorting to dramatic and headline-grabbing tactics.

One of her most infamous acts occurred on Bannockburn Day in 1932, when she led a group of nationalists into Stirling Castle, then an army barracks. There, they replaced the Union Jack with the Lion Rampant flag of Scotland. Her boldness became the stuff of legend, though Eric Linklater's claim that she flushed the Union Jack down a toilet led to a libel case. Wood won, but only received farthing damages—a symbolic victory in her lifelong campaign.

Wood’s activism spanned decades and causes, from opposing the use of the regnal title "Elizabeth II" in Scotland—arguing that Scotland never had an Elizabeth I—to campaigning for global justice. She supported Indian independence, commemorated victims of British concentration camps during the Boer War, and even lent her voice to the Icelandic side in the 1970s "Cod Wars" over fishing rights.

In 1949, she founded the Scottish Patriots, a non-partisan movement for independence, which attracted thousands of members by the time of her death.

At the age of 80, Wendy Wood embarked on a hunger strike for Home Rule on December 8, 1972. While the strike did not lead to immediate political changes, it underscored her relentless commitment to the cause. Her action was part of a broader resurgence of Scottish nationalism that ultimately paved the way for the 1979 referendum on devolution. Although the referendum fell short of its required threshold, it laid the groundwork for Scotland's eventual establishment of a devolved Parliament in 1999.

Beyond activism, Wood was a prolific writer and storyteller. Her books, including Tales of the Western Isles and her autobiography Yours Sincerely for Scotland, captured the essence of Scottish life, history, and culture. In the 1970s, she appeared on the BBC children's program Jackanory, sharing Scottish folktales as "Auntie Gwen."

For over a decade, she lived as a crofter in Moidart, embracing a simple life that informed her writing. Her later years were spent in Edinburgh, where she shared a home and studio with her partner, artist Florence St John Cadell.

Wendy Wood passed away in Edinburgh on June 30, 1981, at the age of 88. Her indomitable spirit and flair for the dramatic left an enduring mark on Scotland’s independence movement. In 2021, her contributions were commemorated with a memorial in Edinburgh’s Old Calton Burial Ground.

Wood’s hunger strike on this day in 1972 stands as a reminder of the sacrifices made by those who believe in the power of self-determination. Her life was a tapestry of creativity, courage, and controversy, woven together by an unshakeable belief in Scotland's right to govern itself.

Thank you for joining us today on This Day in Scottish History. Tune in tomorrow for another story from Scotland’s rich and inspiring past. Until then, I’m Colin MacDonald—Haste Ye Back!

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