Sir, – Thursday and shy with my pie and with an eye on the sky I did find a bench on Market Street in St Andrews where I surreptitiously ate my lunch.
Not before I witnessed two steps ahead of me a gull swoop down on an unassuming chap to take the last piece of a famous fudge doughnut.
It was snatched from a most startled young man.
After pursuit I learned he was himself unpecked. But he was certainly shaken.
His consoling friend recounted a similar incident of another friend, over at the West Sands in St Andrews.
Good taste these gulls. Not a famous fudge doughnut, but an equally famous chocolate eclair.
The gulls can’t be blamed.
Three days ago in Pittenweem I witnessed 20 screaming gulls zooming in for the tail end of an intentionally thrown ice cream cone.
Very entertaining.
However, we now have this generation of larger, hyper, aggressive gulls.
Too little fish?
Too much sugar?
Too much bread?
Too many leftovers. What does that say about us?
I suppose this is a plea to refrain from feeding the gulls and at the same time another warning to keep an eye on the sky if you are munching in the open air on the coast.
Patricia Ramsay.
The Bakehouse,
Pittenweem.
In the end, wee shall overcome
Sir, – And so it comes to pass that Boris the Bold, with all the powers of Westminster at his back, heads north to remind rebellious Scots of their overlord’s God-given right to ride roughshod over Auld Scotia’s customs and laws.
He casts doubt aside: So what if the deep pockets of the UK are full of holes? Obeisance is long overdue.
Now behold Scotland’s champion – the Blessed Nicola.
Calmly, she awaits the oppressor, mindful of another such battle long ago, where young David, against all odds, did lay the mighty Goliath low.
She smiles as she calls to mind the Philistine Champion’s final words of disbelief:
“Sic a thing as a chuckie-stane never entered ma heid before!” (Scots Bible: Unauthorised Version).
Moral: Small is beautiful.
Wee shall overcome.
James Stevenson.
Drummond Avenue,
Auchterarder.
Haste ye back, Boris Johnson
Sir, – Boris Johnson sells the union as being good for Scots then states to the British Tories in Scotland he will never again visit the elected first minister of Scotland.
If this is how you promote the benefits of union then it’s a very odd way to advertise it.
Johnson visited a couple of military bases and a soup factory in the north-east of Scotland or should I say North Britain as Conservatives in Scotland don’t recognise Scotland as a country.
I would say that his visit in Scotland was a great success for the independence movement as his type of conservatism is definitely only for the benefit of a dwindling number of British Conservatives in Scotland.
Haste ye back, Boris . You are the independence movement’s biggest asset.
Bryan Auchterlonie.
Bluebell Cottage,
Perth.
Increasingly authoritarian
Sir, – Further to the letter by Brian Batson (Trump says jump, Johnson asks how high? Courier, July 23).
I wonder how many other people have concerns about the forthcoming Trade Bill which is now on its way to the Lords.
The amendment which would have given Members of Parliament a vote on future trade deals was rejected.
Surely it is important that we uphold parliamentary democracy and our Members of Parliament scrutinise external trade deals. Ministers have to be vigilant. President Trump has been quoted as saying “everything is on the table”. That would include our NHS.
I have concerns that the Westminster Government is becoming increasingly but subtly authoritarian with its attempts to bypass parliament.
This is a worrying trend and, without being overly dramatic, we should be on our guard.
Mary Ward.
Old Brechin Road,
Lunanhead.
Keeping up appearances
Sir, – For a few weeks now there have been some screaming for a repeat of Indyref 2014, denying the 62% that voted no their democratic voice.
At that point in time, the economy was reasonably well.
Now, still within the Covid crisis, we are in a very precarious position.
Business is starting up, but many are closed forever.
The Scottish Parliament is being supported by the British governement, with £4.6 billion to have people furloughed and trying to keep businessses afloat.
Without this massive financial support from Westminster Scotland would not have been able to get through the Covid-19 crisis in the first place.
How on Earth do these people who scream so loud about independence want to “keep” Scotland.
We are out of the EU, so no money from there, and there will be no money from Westminster if the disaster of independence should happen.
Going back to the EU is a long, long process where the first major grab from the EU will be the fishing rights, killing off the Scottish fishing industry totally.
The second will be forcing all the EU rules and laws upon Scotland, and having to pay massive sums into the EU coffers, money that simply is not there!
Are there people within this group that have any economic insight?
A country that has little to no income can not exist.
Our biggest business market is the UK, so please keep it that way.
Mrs Maaike Cook.
Cash Feus,
Strathmiglo.
Respect? Aye right, Murray
Sir, – Having read the article by Murray Chalmers (Respect must be reciprocal, Courier, July 22) instead of using the opportunity to argue cogently the case for independence and the politics of the SNP, he chose instead to praise First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and others in the party unequivocally and then indulge in a spewing forth of name calling and worse of those across the political spectrum who are not of similar persuasion to himself.
Respect? Aye right!
Neil McKinnon.
Tulchan Garden Cottage, Glenalmond.
