#railway resistance is what they're called i think

[from-disco-to-disco]

a freight train derailed a few miles away from where we live. people are saying it was hauling ammunition. lmao & lol

[meanscarletdeceiver]

How do engines view names? Their entire identity? Meaningless? ECT

That's a pretty broad ask, mate.

... I love it. ;)

I'm going to stick with names, since identity goes along with it. Not really sure what you meant by the rest, but I'm going to just take it as a license to go off on any damn tangents I please.

Oh, hush up, Bootlaces.

Honestly, I think the tl;dr is right there in Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine:

"Have they saved other engines besides you?"

"Oh yes," answered Stepney. "You'd like our Bluebell and Primrose. They're twins," he chuckled, "and as like as two peas. They only had numbers at first, Bluebell is 323 and Primrose is 27. They were very pleased when our Controller gave them names. Some say he was wrong to do it. It's certainly made them cocky, but they do work hard, and I think our Controller was right. All engines ought to have names."

"Yes," agreed Edward, "it's most important."

"That's why," Stepney continued, "we've given names to our 488 and 2650. But our Controller doesn't know. It's a secret... They are both very pleased about it, because now they feel part of the family. We call 488 'Adams,' after his designer, you know... 'Cromford', who's 2650, has been pulling trucks up high peaks in Derbyshire. He's tough is Cromford. He had to be for that job."

(The names Adams and Cromford seem only to exist in Awdryverse. A secret from the Controller, indeed. So, that's a very telling bit, worldbuilding-wise.)

But, if you're up for me overanalyzing the thing, then go right ahead and click the readmore.

Although the above conversation is pretty useful, I think it also has to be taken in context. The year is 1962. This takes place on Sodor. We see plenty of other engines in the 'verse who don't have names, and we cannot just assume they are much troubled by it. And both these speakers have gone from big railways to small railways with a "found family" feel—note that, much like the language used when D7101 becomes Bear, Stepney says the others' names are valued because they indicate that they belong.

So.

I'm very intrigued by some universes like @leatherbootlace's where every engine has a given "first-name"-style name even if they also have a "title," such as Flying Scotsman, Skarloey, etc. That's a very clever conceit.

However, in my interpretation that's just not universal. Not remotely. Some engines do have "official names" as well as more everyday aliases, but their everyday names are not necessarily like human names. And they are fine with that. They are also typically very flexible about their names changing along with their identities over the course of their lives.

And some engines are perfectly fine with "just" a railway number. They were actually quite fashionable in the late 19th century, as railway companies just kept swallowing each other up, fleets getting bigger and bigger. Of course, there was resistance the first couple decades, and typically when an engine from a small fleet was absorbed there was a lot of angst at losing their name—precisely because they had also lost their old home. And, too, of course the most important engines on the big railways were "named proper," especially passenger engines—station names, place names, and regiment names were the height of posh.

But on these big fleets, having a number was often considered much better than having some quaint, quirky little name. Atlas or Achilles or Captain Baxter or Olive or Helen or Hero or Goes-When-Ready—ugh. What are you, a contractor's engine?

The engines from smaller companies in turn were rather horrified—who would want to be a number? Especially some horrid long-tailed number! 'No. 834', what even is that? But to the engines on big railways the numbers didn't necessarily mean anonymity. It meant status (I'm from a big railway, we have long numbers because there are a lot of us because our railway is important) and also belonging (my number is my name, and it's my family name too, because I have a family, our whole class/subclass shares a number series, and anyone who is anyone recognizes my clan from my number! That's very important.)

Of course, these attitudes could all vary wildly by region.

The island of Sodor, for instance, has long been stocked with people who are weird as hell, with the oddest sense of priorities and an obsession with their bland breakfast foods. But they are also gentle souls underneath all that, and they never picked up the fashion towards numbering engines. If the directors or owners didn't officially name an engine (Skarloey, Rheneas, Duke), then the people who worked with them would (Stuart, Falcon, Neil). They would name every single engine—no matter how little, how commonplace, how dirty, or how unimportant.

Of course, this wasn't always exactly heartwarming. The old Mid Sodor's No. 2 was officially named Stanley, after north Sodor's venerable Dr. Wilbur Stanley. But the railwaymen found the official name quite incongruous with their least-tractable and least-favorite engine, whom they gave nicknames of which Smudger was the most printable. (I don't think much of Duke due entirely to his attitude about Smudger, but I will say this for him—RWS was more accurate than the TVS in having Duke not use the old nickname. He may have thought very little of the erstwhile generator but he never once indulged in that.)

As Sodor developed standard-gauge railways, the directors, strictly businessmen all, only ever named a handful in the pre-North Western days—and named them after political patrons/board members, of course. But apart from those few cases, the engines were named by "their people," whom they worked alongside. In fact these names, in the venerable tradition of passive-aggressive Sudrian resistance, could be guarded jealously against "outsiders." (Much like the case with Stepney and Friends, they could even be kept a secret from the Directors!—many of whom were English anyway.)

Case in point: Topham Hatt only named two of the four "Coffee Pot" engines that he personally built for the T.K. and E., No. 1 'Glynn' and No. 4 'Janey.' These names were however just as unofficial as the other two, who were named only by the workmen, and in fact no written records exist of any aliases for Nos. 2 and 3, although it can be presumed that, in the contemporary fashion of south Sodor railways, that they too would have been given "Christian names."

With the war-hastened construction of the North Western Railway came an influx of foreign engines. If they arrived with names then the Sudrians respected them and used them... usually.

And then there was the engine from Dover, cheerily introducing herself with her funny little name from home. The Sudrians, not wishing to be hasty or close-minded, had carefully weighed this one in the balance for one day’s work, then two. On the third day they dismissed this as nonsense altogether and christened her Lillian for her stay.

The other engines rather liked Church-Bell, though, and used it often.

However, the Sudrians were absolutely were not about to accept what they considered the sheer barbarity of addressing engines by numbers. Some of the loaned engines were quite offended by this, others were charmed, and others just shrugged and got on with things, because humans gonna human. Obviously, Thomas and Edward's names come from this period. They, along with a few of the other most popular loaners from this period, were called after "Sodor boys" who had recently been killed in battle, and who were mourned by the men they were working with.

When Hatt (notably, not a native Sudrian) took over management of the N.W.R., he took the politic stance of confirming any pre-existing 'unofficial' names, thus avoiding conflicts with employees and engines alike. However, by making them official he had also secured his right as general manager to bestow all future names himself—and to take them away, as he saw fit.

Yeah. Nice try, bigshot. This policy kinda backfired on him in a number of ways:

Henry Regaby, Sr. was... less than flattered, to have the N.W.R.'s "green elephant" named after him. (The ensuing drama played out for the next three generations.)

The wealthy and influential Lady Miranda Gordon was most offended that she had to wait until N.W.R. number four to have a namesake.

Hatt also discovered that he still could not revoke an engine's name by fiat, given that everyone on the rails would keep right on using it, no matter how unpopular they were.

Specifically, '87546' and '98462' were never called that. Even after Hatt lost his temper and ordered their "Sodor names" to be memory-holed by all, the workers stubbornly continued to use them instead of their prior railway numbers. (They were rather over the big blue engines' monkeyshines too, but come on, you don't just de-person a coworker because they're a pain in the arse! That ain't civilized, it ain't.) The other engines, once they became friends, also never used these two's proper numbers... coming up with these absurdly "long-tailed numbers" as a way of "following orders" taking the mickey. (I nicked this idea from, I'm pretty sure, @houseboatisland's Twitter.)

After the above kerfuffles, Hatt gave up trying to score political and managerial points with engine naming, and just went with the Sudrian tradition of just giving a "human" name to each engine just because it's a goddamn natural and decent thing to do omg.

Okay, we went into some detail about this period of Sodor history, because it wound up having outsize impact.

After Grouping, there was an increasing trend towards railway engines giving each other unofficial names. This had been rather uncommon before—culturally, there hardly seemed any point in having a name, if the humans didn't give it to you! The whole point was that it showed you were important to them...

But the instability of the war (engines lost a lot of their old faces)—and then the increasing anonymity of now being part of "mega-railways" and frequently transferred from one depot to the next, often winding up dizzingly far from home—well, this all made the engines realize they could rely on their humans quite a bit less than their predecessors had.

So, rather than wait for humans to give them names either official or unofficial, the practice of engines nicknaming each other (flatteringly... or otherwise) started to, forgive me, build steam in this era.

Then we get to the next war, and the next grouping. Nationalisation was exciting for some engines, but for others it was just really quite dizzying. The renumbering, coming so close on the heels of the stresses of war, left quite a lot of engines feeling numb. Those who recovered tended to crave more identity than the sort of five-digit numbers that the North Western engines had once made up as a joke.

Speaking of the North Western, some of their engines are now taking the country's railfans by storm by this ridiculous new kid-friendly P.R. campaign...

The craving for some sort of personal identity coincided with the growing popularity of the Railway Series. So, no surprise, in the post-war years there was a huge spike in (unofficial) human-style "Christian" names.

Hence, FC1 and FC2 asking Toby and Duck, respectively, what their names are. By 1950, you can expect even mainland engines to have picked up one for themselves.

British Railways, however, found this trend kind of sus. To counter it, B.R. became quite liberal with giving official names to the members of its own new standardized classes.

It kind of worked? For a while. The new B.R. engines tended to accept the idea that they had proper names, not those grubby Sodor-style names, thank you... for a while. Then, as they got quickly relegated to more and more drudgery in their blink-and-you'll-miss-it careers cut short by dieselisation, quite a few of them found what comfort they could in the bonds they did have. And with that often meant adopting simpler names to suit their simple circumstances, too. No one at scrapyard is going to be calling you Coeur-de-Leon or Maid of Astolat with a straight face, all right?

As part of their indoctrination into the company's line, the new diesels were almost all simply numbered, and they preferred it that way. (At least, it was certainly impolitic, and associated you with the malcontents, to suggest otherwise!)

That was equally true in other countries undergoing dieselisation.

By the 80s, however, some diesel and electric locomotives, as well as another mass transit vehicles, started a quiet rebellion against such standardisation. The trend of giving each other names started again.

However, they were seldom "common human first name" sort of names. That sort of thing now has a very quaint, old-timey feel to it—very "heritage line." Instead, the vehicles tend to find names that would make rock stars or fantasy video game characters proud! Also, unisex names became very cool (though gender expression continued to be largely binary until at least the 21st century mark).

[mags0607]

This is my Survey from a reading Fest that I participated in. WIZARD HEARTS for the Game of Drarry.i had so much fun reading a ton of new fics for this, and this survey has some wonderful stories recced in it.❤️

1. What was the first fic you read for the game/fest? Why did you choose it?

The fist fic i read was for the fake dating trope, because it is one of my favorites. The fic was Failed Application of Thought by RuArcher. https://archiveofourown.org/works/16624730 I loved every second of it.

2. What was the last fic you read for the game/fest? How did it feel reading 52+ fics?

The very last official Fic that I read for the fest was from the smut suit for Ace. It was Lost Boys by Dahlia_Rose_83 https://archiveofourown.org/works/10759788 and I absolutely fell in love with it. It was a perfect Fic to end on. I’m not going to lie, I breathed a sigh of relief when I submitted that last comment. I did the smut suit and tried to do all the “go squid” submissions as well, so reading over 70 fanfictions in about 4 months was a bit daunting. I did love that it made me branch out and discover great stories and authors that I had never heard of before.

3.What's a fic you think is a hidden gem and deserves more hype?

I thoroughly enjoyed Loose Ends by justkeeptrekkin https://archiveofourown.org/works/21662668 is a gem, and an awesome Fic featuring the Room of Requirement.

4.What was your strategy for choosing fic/tropes for your reading list? Was there a fic/trope you found you simply couldn’t resist?

I really didn't have much of a strategy at first, except i tried to go for the longest fic possible. Then I just started reading them in order by suit for the most part. I left the smut suit till last, which probably wasn't the smartest decision on my part since some were hard to find after a while.

5.Was there a trope that you’ve read a lot of previously that you found uniquely presented?

I have read quite a few First Time fics, but one i read during the fest was such a unique take on the trope. It was called Lost Boys, by Dahlia_Rose_83 and it was so unique from the very first paragraph. (i'm not giving anything away, but go read it.) https://archiveofourown.org/works/10759788

6.What's a line from a fic that you can't stop thinking about?

The Destiny You Sold by tryslora https://archiveofourown.org/works/5203025 was a fantastic read, and I cannot gush enough about how fantastic it was. This bit right here was just simply perfect.

“When this is done,” Draco whispers. “When it’s done, I’ll still be here, and you will come back to me. Because Luna is right: this is where we’ve always been heading. No matter what you did that bonded us, no matter what I unknit, there will always be a thread between us, drawing us back together. And I want that, Harry. I want you. I just want to be absolutely certain that you want me too.”

7.What's a moment in a fic that genuinely got you to tear up?

I don't want to spoil it, but A Lick and A Promise by tackytiger https://archiveofourown.org/works/21599401 was simply beautiful. Harry and Draco are both fantastic, and this one just punched me in all the feels. Since i don't want to give away what made me cry, i will give you one of my favorite lines.

“Harry supposes they've already seen the absolute worst of each other, over years of taunts and fights and crushed bones and the careless slice of magic through skin and vein and tendon. They've seen the worst of each other, and yet they're still able to understand the very best of each other too, the way no one else seems to. And isn't that a funny one?”

8.Was there a trope you’ve never read or heard of before? What did you think?

I had never read a deaging fic before. Everyone recommends Away Childish Things by lettered https://archiveofourown.org/works/16052816 but i just had never sat down to read it. Let me tell you, I WAS BLOWN AWAY. It was hands down one of the most well-written and beautiful fics i have ever had the privilege of reading. If you have not, sit down and do it NOW!

9.Which trope did you read that pleasantly surprised you?

I am not super into Vampire fics in general, so i typically don't search them out. But, gracerene is one of my favorite writers, and when i saw she wrote Palace of Eternity https://archiveofourown.org/works/19900939, I immediately sat down to read it. It was a fantastic fic, and I absolutely loved every second of it.

10.Is there a fic that made you laugh out loud?

Yes! So I read the crackfic!trope and the fic i read was funny and entertaining. It was Ten Points for Gryfindor by VivacissimoVoce And it featured Auror Harry that was growing antlers and had to go to Healer Draco! It was hilarious and I died at all the puns. https://archiveofourown.org/works/2436389

11.What is your favourite trope and why?

Fake dating/meddling friends. Hands down! I will read anything featuring this trope, and they are so often intertwined. The one I read for the fest was so so good! It was called Dating for Dads in Denial by aibidil https://archiveofourown.org/works/11979036 and it was totally worth the read. It's also a kid fic, and the kids definitely steal the show in the best way!

12.Which tropes did you skip? Would you be willing to share why? If you didn’t skip a trope, was there one that gave you pause?

I read every single trope that you guys dished out. I vowed to push myself out of my comfort zone with this, and i'm so happy that I did. I did pause for a moment at the darkfic!trope, but in the end, i even liked that one. The fic i read was Railway Lands by maelipstick https://archiveofourown.org/works/133294, and i probably would not have read it without the fest, but I'm so glad I did.

13.Did you read multiple fics by the same author? What tropes? Wax poetic about the author a bit, eh!

So i discovered quite a few new authors during this fest, but one that i just have to mention is Andithiel. She was on my team, and before this, i had never read her stuff. She is amazing. I think I read three of her fics for the fest. My favorite was I’ll Never Be Your Chosen One https://archiveofourown.org/works/20774483. It was angsty and beautiful. I read it for the HateSex Trope and it was fantastic.

14.Who's an author you think deserves more hype?

Gracerene is fantastic and deserves all the love in the world. I know she is pretty well known, but I just think she deserves the whole world and writes the most beautiful fics.

https://archiveofourown.org/users/gracerene/pseuds/gracerene

15.Which suit did you have the most fun reading? Why?

CLUBS hands down was my favorite. I think it was because I read so many fest fics for it, and fest fics always bring out the best creativity from some wonderful authors.

16.Did a fic send you off on a tangent reading or researching anything? Which one was it and what was your off the path adventure?

I tend to just flit around to different tropes and stories, so I honestly didn’t go off on a tangent for any one trope. I do want to read every Fic on the thrice Fic list, that I haven’t read yet! That’s my goal.

17.Did you rec any fics to your friends during the game/fest? Which ones?

I have a few fics that I recommend to anyone that will listen. Two memorable ones that i recommended to other readers were Ligabus Filium by Tessa Crowley https://archiveofourown.org/works/11972160 and Five Weddings and a Potions Accident by Lauren3210https://archiveofourown.org/works/8452648. One fic that i read for the first time during this fest and couldn't say enough good things about was The Promise of Summer by Omi_ohmy https://archiveofourown.org/works/21921442/chapters/52322524

18.Do you have any feedback for the mods of the game/fest? Would you be interested in playing again if the opportunity arose? Share more info about your experience.

I absolutely loved doing this fest. I don't write very often, so i don't always get to participate in the fandom as much as i would like. I loved being included as a reader, and i loved that this fest made me more aware of the comments i make on fics. The author feedback was so encouraging, and it was nice to know my words made a difference, i also loved the sense of community that came with being in a team. This made me read stories i never would have found otherwise, and I loved it. Please do this again!

[tt-review]

Catalans race to create a new currency and economic fortress  The Catalan independence saga has no good ending If the EU cannot learn from Spain, separatism will only spread Why does Catalonia want independence from Spain? Catalonia declares independence – so is Barcelona safe to visit? Carles Puigdemont, the Catalan leader who has been ousted by the Spanish government, faces imminent arrest after he continued to defy Madrid by standing by the declaration of independence he led in Catalonia’s parliament. Mr Puigdemont could face more than 30 years in prison and sources from the Spanish public prosecutor’s office said they would demand that he be remanded in custody as soon as he is arrested. Spain’s prosecution service was already preparing accusations of rebellion and misuse of public funds against Mr Puigdemont for going ahead with an illegal referendum on independence for Catalonia, held on October 1 amid scenes of police violence against hundreds of voters. Friday’s declaration of independence in Catalonia’s parliament made Mr Puigdemont’s arrest a possibility. His fellow government members and the speaker of the house, Teresa Forcadell, are also at risk for permitting the vote to go ahead. In a televised address Saturday afternoon, hours after he was officially dismissed by government decree under emergency powers granted to Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, Mr Puigdemont raised the stakes again by asking Catalans “to defend our conquests” through the use of mass civil disobedience. Ignoring the fact that he had been formally dismissed from his post, Mr Puigdemont said: “We cannot and do not want to win through force. Not us.” Catalan activists are preparing to defend the declaration of independence, despite the fact that the international community has snubbed the declaration.   Juncker: 'there isn't room in Europe for other fractures' 00:27 The Spanish government on Saturday appeared to have gained the upper hand in a standoff with the Catalonian government by taking swift and what it hopes will prove decisive action as pro-union sentiment grows.  Its manoeuvres against Catalonia’s unilateral declaration of independence represent the first time that Mr Rajoy has directly confronted the Catalonian leadership rather than relying on the courts and police to rein it in. The decisions agreed by Mr Rajoy’s cabinet on Friday evening, to use special powers granted to the government by Spain’s senate to remove Carles Puigdemont as leader of the Catalan government along with all of his ministers, came into effect in the early hours of Saturday, effectively undoing the declaration of a republic that had lasted only half a day. In all, at least 150 officials and their appointed aides were stripped of their jobs by the measures. Diplocat, Catalonia’s network of foreign ‘ambassadors’ that has long raised hackles with the administration in Madrid, was another casualty of Spain's measures. Juan Ignacio Zoído, Spain’s interior minister and now in charge of security in Catalonia, moved to replace the chief of the regional police force, Josep Lluís Trapero. The reason given for removing him as the head of the Mossos d’Esquadra force was Major Trapero’s “legal situation”, given that the former police chief is one step away from being charged with sedition for his role in allegedly allowing the illegal October 1 referendum to go ahead. The morning after the declaration of independence in Catalonia, confusion reigned on the streets of Barcelona as to what regime was in power. Catalan President Carles Puigdemont speaks during a statement at the Palau Generalitat today Credit: Presidency Press Service, Pool Photo via AP “The question is who's in charge?" said Manolo, who did not wish to give his surname. Others wondered what comes next. "They've fired the president and now they're telling us to hold elections. How can we have elections because Madrid orders them?" wondered 46-year-old Mireia Garcia. Catalonia’s pro-independence parties have to decide quickly whether and how they will take part in the snap ballot called for December 21 by Mr Rajoy. The far-left CUP party has already said it will boycott the elections as it no longer recognises Madrid’s authority, and other independence parties are considering whether they will make the same decision. “We will have a massive rebel paella,” said CUP parliamentarian Mireia Boya, in a jocular reference to the elections being called for a Thursday, a traditional paella day, rather than the usual Sunday. The possibility of a boycott by pro-independence parties was seen as real enough by former Catalonian leader, Artur Mas, who this week said it would be “lethal” to the sovereignty movement. The independence movement only enjoyed a slight majority in Catalonia's parliament, and some activists fear a boycott will mean a comfortable majority for pro-Madrid parties come December. Seemingly exhausted by weeks of decision making over whether and how to proclaim independence, Mr Puigdemont’s televised statement on Saturday expressed determination but gave no details on what the ousted Catalan government plans to do in the coming weeks. People wave Spanish flags during a mass protest by people angry with Catalonia's declaration of independence Credit: AP Photo/Paul White “Our will is to continue working to fulfill our democratic mandates,” Mr Puigdemont said. Despite being at risk of arrest for rebellion against Spanish constitutional order, Mr Puigdemont on Saturday cut a relaxed figure when he was caught by the cameras of La Sexta television channel enjoying a meal and a drink in a neighbourhood restaurant in his native Girona. One other member of the axed Catalan government, Josep Rull, remained defiant. Announcing on Twitter that his territory and sustainability department had approved contracts to improve Catalonia's rail network worth 9.5 million euros, Mr Rull ended the message by saying: "We continue". In Madrid thousands massed under Colón square’s massive Spanish flag to demand that Catalonia’s rebellion be put to an end. "Prison for Puigdemont", demonstrators shouted. Jorge Marín, a 38-year-old engineer, said: "In the end, this is going to come to nothing. "The Catalans aren't serious, and we're not serious, because they're not really getting independence, and we're not going to put them in prison for what they're doing." The Madrid government is concerned about the potential for confrontation across Catalonia during a weekend of demonstrations and following police violence earlier in the month. Local newspaper El País quoted Spanish government sources saying the plan is to act “with prudence and proportionality” to ease Catalonia’s former leaders out of their posts, fearful of scenes of street clashes involving police being beamed around the world as happened during the October 1 referendum on independence. Spanish State Secretaries and undersecretaries discuss yesterday's events at the State Secretary of Land Management Credit: EPA/JJ GUILLEN Volunteers to heed a call to mount the civil disobedience hinted at by Mr Puigdemont, are not hard to find. “If they say that Puigdemont and the speaker of parliament are going to be arrested, we will go and defend them. It will be peaceful resistance. Let it be they who do the violence,” Sara, a 17-year-old who did not wish to reveal her surname, told the Telegraph on a Barcelona street this weekend. “We’ve declared independence and now come the consequences. It will be humiliating if we don’t struggle,” agreed her 19-year-old friend, Paula. Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, widely regarded as the best communicator in the conservative Popular Party government, has been entrusted with the key role of coordinating direct rule from Madrid, but she will face a difficult task.  Marti Olivella, a veteran activist imprisoned in the 1970s for refusing to do compulsory military service, was teaching groups of volunteers techniques of passive resistance in a park next to Barcelona’s Sants railway station on Saturday. “I think it’s an illusion to think that people who have led us this far and declared independence are going to just walk away because a law is published,” Mr Olivella said in reference to the imposition of Article 155 and the Spanish government’s dismissal of Catalonia’s entire ministerial team. “If they stay there, rock solid in their ministry buildings and in parliament, and a sector of society makes access difficult, it will be complicated for the authorities. Don’t forget that two million people put their physical safety on the line to go out and vote in the referendum.”   Eva Casas, a 54-year-old bookseller from Barcelona, recalls what she calls the Spanish security forces’ “terrorist violence” as they attempted to break up the referendum. “Today we are a republic. Tomorrow the forces of occupation will try and stop us. We are Spain’s last colony. Spain doesn’t know us, but they want our territory and our wealth. “The police came in to the polling station and we weren’t afraid. People took the blows, went to hospital and came out in slings to cast their votes. We hope this time that the European Union will condemn Rajoy and his violence.” But the organisers of a march against independence also hope to take over the streets of Barcelona on Sunday. Pro-independence supporters celebrate following the parliamentary vote Credit: Angel Garcia/Bloomberg Alex Ramos, vice president of Catalan Civil Society, said he is expecting up to a million people to celebrate what he called the “end of the surreal and disturbing adventure by the nationalist political class”. Britain’s Foreign Office has issued a warning to tourists to “exercise caution” in Barcelona and Catalonia due to the political developments of recent days.  “Further gatherings and demonstrations are very likely to take place in the coming days; they may occur with little or no warning and even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can escalate and turn confrontational”, the notice says. Barcelona is bracing for economic uncertainty after investors sold off Spanish bonds and shares in Catalan banks in reaction to Friday’s vote, while Catalonia's future in the EU single market looked in doubt. Announcing draconian measures to impose direct rule on the region yesterday, Mr Rajoy said he hoped his planned restoration of constitutional order would mean that “no more companies, and no more investors” would join the exodus after two of the country’s top five banks announced their decision to leave Catalonia. But large global banks and funds are no longer convinced that the premier can contain the crisis. “We are going to destroy the work of two generations in Catalonia,” said Joaquín Gay, president of Foment de Treball, the region’s leading business organisation. Nearly 1,700 companies have moved their headquarters outside of Catalonia since the referendum three weeks ago.  Many business leaders are worried that as a result of the uncertainty the Catalan economy, the largest in Spain and which accounts for a fifth of its GDP, will lose its strength. Earlier this month, as a result of the uncertainty, Spain cut growth forecasts for its economy next year from 2.3 per cent to 2.6 per cent.  On Friday, shares in Catalonian banks fell sharply on Spain’s Ibex-35. CaixaBank, which is Spain's third largest lender, immediately fell by around five per cent while Sabadell, the country's fifth biggest bank, fell roughly six percent. Both announced earlier this month they planned to move their headquarters from Barcelona. Revellers and protestors clash after Catalonia declares independence 01:22 “When you lose CaixaBank, a symbol of Catalonia, it’s demoralising. Companies like Sabadell are going to move their top management, and then it will be assets leaving. The same thing that happened to Quebec is going to happen here,” Carlos Rivadulla of the association Empresaris de Catalunya (Catalan businesspeople), told the Telegraph. Sabadell confirmed on Friday that it is moving its management offices out of Barcelona, following its decision to change registered office earlier in the month. Jaime Guardiola, the chief executive of Sabadell, said that all banks, not just his, have moved deposits out of Catalonia and into safer parts of Spain. "Money is easily scared and even though we tell customers there is no problem, many have decided to move their money," he said. The immediate impact on tourism - a crucial constituent of the Barcelona economy - has also been marked. Flight booking forecasting business, ForwardKeys, reported that air travel bookings to Catalonia are down 22 per cent this month compared to the same period last year. As a result, local businesses are suffering. Javier, who runs three restaurants in Barcelona told The Telegraph: "We’ve seen an alarming drop-off in business of more than 30 per cent since the start of October. It’s unsustainable if this carries on.  "People in the tourism trade are all saying the same and it is impossible to overstate the importance of these services to Catalonia’s economy." Investors appeared to believe the crisis will be resolved, though analysts say the risks are growing daily. “We still think that the economic effects of this political crisis will be manageable,” said Stephen Brown, economist at Capital Economics. 1:44PM Ousted Catalan leader calls for peaceful resistance Ousted Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont, who was fired by the Spanish government over the province’s declaration of independence, has called on the people to non-violently resist Madrid’s takeover bid. 1:31PM 'No room in Europe for any more cracks',  says Juncker Officials in Europe are speaking out against Catalonia's declaration of independence. European Union President Jean-Claude Juncker, speaking from French Guyana, said "there isn't room in Europe for other fractures or other cracks. We've had enough of those." Juncker said the EU wants "to respect the Spanish constitutional and legal order. We are not in favor of letting Europe develop so that tomorrow we'd have 95 member states. Twenty-eight is enough for now." Celebrations in Catalonia Credit: AP Greece also expressed concern Saturday about Catalonia's independence bid, saying it supports Spain's territorial integrity. Greek government spokesman Dimitris Tzanakopoulos says "we are particularly concerned about the situation in Spain and repeat that Europe can only go forward united ... unilateral actions cannot be accepted." 12:35PM FCO advice The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has updated its advice on Spain.  There have been large gatherings of people in Barcelona and other areas of the Catalonia region in relation to the political developments there; further gatherings and demonstrations are very likely to take place in the coming days; they may occur with little or no warning and even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can escalate and turn confrontational; you should exercise caution if you're in the vicinity. 12:34PM Rallies in Madrid Opponents of independence for Catalonia are holding a rally in the Spanish capital of Madrid. Thousands of people have turned out in the Plaza de Colon, many waving Spanish flags or wearing them around their shoulders. #28Oct#AHORA |VIDEO EXCLUSIVO| En Plaza de Colón de Madrid. Manifestación por la #UNIDAD de #ESPAÑA .@http://DanielAckermanLpic.twitter.com/33o2NbNU6E— CATERINA VALENTINO (@CATERINAV) October 28, 2017   11:14AM Anger and confusion on the streets of Barcelona Barcelona residents awoke on Saturday wondering if they were living in a new Catalan republic or if it had "all been a dream", as Manolo, a cyclist in the park surrounding Catalonia's parliament, pondered. "The question is who's in charge now?" Manolo, who did not wish to give his surname to the Telegraph's James Badcock, said he didn't agree with the way the republic had been declared. "I don't think many people believe in it. There were celebrations last night but we've seen bigger demonstrations in the past." Mireia Garcia, a 46-year-old from Barcelona, was more irate with the Spanish government's imposition of direct rule. "They've fired the president and now they're telling us to hold elections. How can we have elections because Madrid orders them?" Credit: Reuters   11:01AM "We continue", vows fired Catalan minister The first officially fired Catalan minister to communicate on social media today has vowed to continue, according to our correspondent in Barcelona James Badcock. Josep Rull announced on Twitter that his territory and sustainability department on Friday approved contracts to improve Catalonia's rail network worth 9.5 million euros, ending the message saying cryptically #Seguim, or "We continue". Ahir vam adjudicar deu obres de millora de la xarxa viària per valor de més de 9'5M€. Les més rellevants a l'LP3322, C12, C55 o C28 #Seguim— Josep Rull i Andreu (@joseprull) October 28, 2017   10:23AM "The independence saga has no good ending" This is a momentous occasion for Catalonia and for Spain. But it is also, without doubt, a tragic one, Daniel Cappuro writes for the Telegraph. No matter what the final result of this crisis is, one of Europe’s most charismatic, charming, and beautiful nations will be irrevocably damaged. No side comes out of this well, and the Iberian Peninsula will end up a far less happy place. The unilateral declaration of independence by the Catalan parliament is a big step. Essentially the separatists have set a course and ripped off the tiller. There can be no going back for them now. It’s hard to share in the jubilation of Catalan nationalists. A tense parliamentary vote, the electric spread of joy through vast crowds in the streets as the result is reported, a lofty speech delivered by a newly crowned national saviour. These are scenes that used to bring elation in Europe, as one by one the people of this continent threw off oppression. The bitter tale of Yugoslavia may have made us more wary, but freedom and self-determination are beautiful things. Independence supporters gather in Sant Jaume square Credit: Bloomberg   10:00AM EU warns 'more cracks' in bloc  The EU's most senior official warned that "more cracks" were emerging in the bloc on Friday after the Catalan parliament declared independence from Spain, plunging the country into political and economic turmoil. Madrid swiftly responded to the vote by dissolving the Catalan parliament and dismissing Carles Puigdemont as president of Catalonia and his entire government.  Mariano Rajoy, the Spanish prime minister, announced that regional elections would be held in December and said the unprecedented act of imposing direct rule on the regional was needed to "recover normality". Credit: Bloombger The shock decision to declare independence poses potentially the greatest threat to the EU's unity since Brexit, and is likely to fuel support for separatist movements in Ireland, Scotland and the Basque Country. Read more on this here.  9:56AM Madrid fires Catalonia's regional police chief  Madrid on Saturday dismissed the chief of Catalonia's regional police, the Mossos d'Esquadra, a day after imposing direct control on the region over a bid to break away from Spain. The firing of Josep Lluis Trapero, Catalonia's highest-ranking policeman, was published in the official government gazette as Spain perched on a knife's edge in its worst political crisis in decades. Madrid accuses Trapero of disobeying court orders to block a banned October 1 independence referendum. He became a hero to the secessionists after his force took a much softer stance than national police in enforcing a government ban on an independence referendum on Oct. 1. In an effort to defuse tensions, the regional police force urged its members to behave in a neutral manner and not to take sides, an internal note seen on Saturday by Reuters showed. Trapero became a hero to the secessionists after his force took a much softer stance than national police in enforcing a government ban on an independence referendum on Oct. 1.

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