Madam, – On July 27 I was bitten on the hip by a dog while crossing the Seven Arches bridge, Monifieth.
A nasty graze needed attention that resulted in a series of exasperatingly inadequate responses from community services.
When looking for an antiseptic for dog bites, the pharmacist searched the shelves but clearly knew no more than I did about what was appropriate, and gave me an ointment that was healing, but not antiseptic.
When reporting the incident to the police I was told that, as it was not a serious bite (blood drawn) I should contact Dundee Council dog warden service.
At the council offices they had never heard of this service but suggested, after some searching, that I phone the Animal Control Service.
Now I hoped for serious assistance on how the owner of an out-of-control dog might be helped to take more responsibility for the animal’s behaviour when in a public place.
Alas, I had not accounted for “jurisdiction”.
While I and the dog owner live in Dundee, the incident occurred in Angus, so I was told to contact the Animal Control Service there.
I give up!
In the meantime, thankfully, the wound is healing well, but the dog may still be a danger to people in public without further training.
Godfrey Nicholson.
20 Hamilton Street,
Dundee.
Restore it so we can all enjoy clifftop path
Madam, – Your article about the clifftop path to Auchmithie is something which should be of interest to all who have walked the path, and it certainly is to me (“Councillor issues call for action over Angus clifftop path erosion”, The Courier, July 27).
Starting at Auchmithie the path is well laid out and the views are beautiful, with unspoiled beaches and clifftops, until you reach Seaton Den.
There the path is “topped” with “Chuckies” then it becomes a dirt track down to the burn.
It is steep and would be slippery in wet conditions.
Again, on the far side of the burn, along a steep uphill on the same dirt track, you cross a bridge to a path which, in places, is very narrow and overgrown with nettles encroaching from the grass.
This is the section described as “closed for safety reasons” but is still accessible, albeit to those more nimble.
The “alternative route” via Carlingheugh Bay is sets of steps leading down to the stony beach, which is very difficult to walk on in parts.
The alternative is to walk through waist high grass, which becomes boggy with a burn crossing about half way along, which would be easily stepped into.
Anyone describing this as an “alternative route”, has either never walked along it or is some relative of a mountain goat.
This path between Auchmithie and Arbroath could be developed into a beautiful attraction to tourism in Angus if the finances could be found to widen and repair the path between the steps at Carlingheugh Bay and Seaton Den, and a bridge, similar to the existing one, connecting to the path beyond Seaton Den, would make it accessible to all walkers, cyclists, and even wheelchair users.
While this development is most likely beyond Angus Council to undertake due to the financial situation it presently faces, I believe there are alternative funding avenues available for improving the accessibility of coastlines in Scotland.
I have approached Arbroath East and Lunan SNP councillor Brenda Durno sabout this previously, and am appreciative of her support.
Perhaps some of her fellow councillors might want to look into this, and maybe support it as well.
Graham Smith.
Charles Avenue,
Arbroath.
Maintenance contracts pain
Madam, – I have sympathy for and empathy with those two gentlemen reported on recently who, after purchasing their homes, discovered they were stuck with a maintenance contract, something they knew nothing about until they were billed by the management company (“Call for clarity over homeowner contracts following £30,000 bill”, The Courier, July 30).
A similar thing occurred here in Fintry, when tenants were allowed to buy their homes from what was Scottish Special Housing Association but is now Abertay Housing.
Nobody was advised we would be paying for any work undertaken: grass cutting, repairs to any damaged or broken fencing, trees that had to be cut down, the maintenance of paths – in fact anything they replace or repair is charged to all the former tenants, and we are billed every year.
I can remember there was a meeting held in the Fintry Primary School and so many people attended there wasn’t room for everybody to get into the room.
The speaker assured us nothing could be done, that the solicitors were responsible for not advising us, and we would just have to pay.
Mrs June Reid.
12 Findhorn Street,
Fintry, Dundee.
It’s chaos and it’s getting worse
Madam, – We’re in the midst of political turmoil.
We have a charlatan prime minister with a malign gift for overblown, nationalistic rhetoric, a proven record of ministerial incompetence, the attention span of a gnat, and a meticulously documented history of mendacity, double dealing and untrustworthiness.
We have a recast Cabinet team containing more than its share of deeply unpleasant, truly nasty bits of work, proposing simple solutions to complex problems and rowdily ready to abandon all pretence at financial responsibility.
Then there’s the populist right-wing press in England, devoid of the slightest smidgeon of critical rigour and applauding raucously the loud-mouthed lunacies emanating at unstoppable speed from our rulers.
But cheer up – the worst is yet to come!
D McCreadie & J Stevenson,
Drummond Ave,
Auchterarder.
Liberals were for free trade
Madam, – I can only concur with Mr Loneskie of Amulree’s “Liberal without the Democrat” argument (Letters, July 25).
In rejecting the BrexitReferendum result, the LibDems reveal themselves as “we-know-better-than-the great-unwashed” elitists. They also betray liberalism in advocating EU protectionism, with its over 12,000 tariffs raising our cost of living.
The old Liberal Party was for free trade, and their predecessors, the Whigs, were in 1846 instrumental in securing the Repeal of the Corn Laws.
As pointed out in Wikipedia, these laws hampered the growth of other economic sectors such as manufacturing, by reducing people’s disposable income.
A final point: global free trade is a natural right, but try telling that to today’s LibDems.
George Morton.
29 Hudson Road,
Rosyth.
Bit rich for Corbyn to say
Madam, – It is a bit rich for Mr Corbyn to state that he does not “get involved in personal abuse, I don’t make any personal abuse, I don’t do personal”.
Does he not remember how he behaved towards Teresa May?
A A Bullions.
6 Glencairn Cres,
Leven.
