Sir, I am amazed by the never-ending storm surrounding the aircraft instrument dials so carelessly dumped on Dalgety Bay more than 60 years ago.
The radium in the luminous paint is an emitter of alpha particles. The bad news is that alpha particles are likely to be damaging to living tissue if they reach it.
The good news is that alpha particles cannot travel very far an item containing radium can be made quite safe by putting it in a paper bag.
The only people who suffered from contact with the luminous paint were the girls who licked their paint brushes when applying it.
That happened before the danger was appreciated.
The current fuss is out of all proportion to the risks involved.
Stephen Younger. 43a Main Street, Strathkinness.
This is normal practice and democracy
Sir, I don’t think anyone involved in Angus Council development standards committee on Tuesday January 28 regards the discussion about the restaurant signs on the A90 as a major issue and I can see no unusual or high costs involved.
As the restaurant signs were on a trunk road the national body Transport Scotland was consulted; this is normal practice.
The advice from Transport Scotland and Angus Council’s roads department was that one of the signs could distract drivers and should therefore be refused. Councillors on the development standards committee took a different view. That is their right and that is democracy.
I’m surprised that an experienced MSP such as Alex Johnstone is unaware of how councils work and the interface between councils and national bodies.
While I’m unclear who TaxpayerScotland is and who it actually represents, I would have thought there may be more obvious areas of wasteful public expenditure.
For example, have they calculated the costs involved of dozens of elderly Peers “debating” the merits of Scottish independence at £300 a day each?
Cllr Bill Duff. 5 MacDiarmid Drive, Hillside, Montrose.
Why highlight negative only?
Sir, I am somewhat disturbed at the sensationalised front page of Saturday’s Courier where, presumably in an attempt to increase sales, you pick up on “concerns remain over Victoria A&E” this being only part of a quote from Ms Claire Baker in what was definitely a positive interview by Michael Alexander.
It seems abundantly unfair that the only negative aspect of the statement was highlighted when there was so much crediting the Victoria and its staff with a vast improvement in the A&E position.
I had thought that this was a ploy used by theatre managers to pick a few favourable words from an unfavourable review to boost a production, but I had never thought to see it used in reverse to attempt to blacken a good hospital and its hardworking staff.
Patricia Rowan. Kirklee Cottage, High Street, Earlsferry.
Confidence in new service
Sir, Last September I carried out a detailed internet analysis of day-return business trip air fares from Scotland to London, which showed Dundee to London City to be easily the most expensive. Then, £541 was the cheapest day-return fare from Dundee if booked at a few days’ notice. Even at three weeks’ notice it was £348. Those fare levels were the big criticism made of travel from Dundee Airport.
I have just gone on the Flybe website to check the fares on the new Loganair/Flybe service from Dundee to London Stansted which starts at the end of March, and found the lowest day-return fare called “Essentials” to be about one-third of the highest fare to London-City quoted above and less than half of the London City fare if booked three weeks in advance (depending on which optional add-ons were chosen).
As the start date of the new service gets closer and the advance booking period gets shorter, the lowest fares will no doubt become harder to get, but it does look as if the price justification for not flying from Dundee has reduced considerably.
The timing of 07.00 from Dundee and 18.25 back from Stansted looks a lot better for the average business traveller, and as far as service standard and reliability are concerned it’s going to be the same crews flying the same Dundee-based fleet of aircraft, so there can be confidence in that.
Gordon Fleming. 2 St Nicholas Place, Dundee.
Great work by local firm
Sir, In response to comments from Gordon Kennedy (Letters, January 30), not all British builders lack a good work ethic. We currently have a local construction company doing some conversion work on our house and I have to say that their work ethic is admirable.
They arrive on time, do not take long breaks or disappear for long periods and at all times they have been polite, respectful and friendly. We have used and recommended them on several occasions.
The work is progressing quickly, within the predicted timescale and every evening, before leaving, they tidy up and make sure our property is secure.
Kate Ramsay. Station Road, Woodside, Blairgowrie.