Today’s letters to The Courier.
Sir, I read with disbelief Angus Councillor Mark Salmond’s ill-judged comments regarding his assertion that Montrose lost out on the first era of North Sea oil and gas activity. He comments: ”The people in power perhaps didn’t realise the significance of the oil boom and what the area could have got out of it”.
Where has he been all this time? I would strongly recommend he reads previous and also quite recent editions of local and regional newspapers covering the past four decades in Montrose, Dundee and Aberdeen reference libraries.
Montrose welcomed its first offshore supply vessel to the old Wet Dock in June, 1971, the first such arrival to a Tayside port.
The then Harbour Trust drove forward development plans jointly with the giant P&O Energy Group’s subsidiary Sea Oil Services Ltd from mid-July, 1972. Construction work quickly followed and soon a custom-designed offshore support base took shape, the envy of ports along Scotland’s east coast.
The town’s business community soon latched on to the potential markets thus presented and local representatives joined export and fact-finding trade missions, participated in offshore-related exhibitions and individual personnel took off for a wide range of destinations around the North Sea including Norway, The Netherlands and much further afield to North America, Brazil, Singapore etc.
The Harbour Board, the local Chamber of Commerce, Sea Oil’s tenants on the Base and individual companies carried the name of Montrose far afield and it was also known to high-profile figures in the industry, including Red Adair.
Councillor Salmond would be well advised to applaud all this effort and hard won business rather than belittle what looks like a lack of interest and missed opportunities.
John Aitken.7 Graham Crescent,Montrose.
Great living in Dundee
Sir, I recently spent a joyous weekend in Dundee, a non-stop bombardment of lectures, both interesting and entertaining, thanks to the Dundee Literary Festival given at the Bonar Hall at the University of Dundee.
My weekend began at 1pm on Friday with an informative and amusing talk given by Nick Robinson, BBC Political correspondent, followed immediately by readings from Robert Douglas and Mae Stewart on their childhood and memories called The Great Tenement Battle: Dundee versus Glasgow.
The next talk was given by Andy Coogan, war hero and survivor of the Japanese prison camps in Malaysia. He kept us marvelling at his wonderful sense of humour which, he says, helped him survive.
After a break I returned to enjoy a Scotsman’s dream, 101 World Whiskies Tasting with Ian Buxton. Next morning we were back to listen to another BBC hero, Jeremy Bowen, the Middle East correspondent now operating in war-torn Syria.
Then, on Saturday, evening we attended An Evening for Bianca, a wine and cheese evening with entertainment from Mike Gibb’s works of Clarinda, Five Pound and Twa Bairns, Mother of All the Peoples and others. All proceeds were for the Scottish Charity, Friends of Bianca.
Isn’t it great living in Dundee!
George Gavine.The Veldt,Monikie.
Manners are appreciated
Sir, It was sad to read of the experiences of the gentlemen who had such a lack of manners shown to them by what appears to be very rude females. I can assure them that there are ladies in Dundee who do appreciate the gesture of a man holding open a door or offering a seat on a bus.
What disturbs me is the number of mothers who put a small child on a seat and leave it while they are busy with their mobile phone. When my children were young I kept them on my knee with my arms round them to ensure they were safe if the bus braked sharply.
Mrs June Reid,12 Findhorn Street,Fintry, Dundee.
Is this being calculated for?
Sir Recent farming page harvest reports and articles on CAP negotiations etc raise the question of the extent to which an independent Scotland could feed itself. Would the people have to accept diet adjustments?
As some food is obviously imported, this would add to the national debt. Have SNP calculations accounted for this?
A T Geddie.68 Carleton Avenue,Glenrothes.
Poor surface in car park
Sir, – Having recently returned from Lunan Bay car park, I must express my anger at the state of the surface there.
I do not know how much money Angus Council spent recently supposedly upgrading it but you would not need to be a civil engineer to recognise that the specification was totally inadequate.
It seems the council have adopted a minimalist approach to all road repairs, as I watch potholes ”patched” earlier this year outside my house grow ever bigger.
While appreciating there are constraints on the money available as most of our council tax is required for early retirements, generous pension schemes etc, what little is left could be spent a little more wisely.
Robert Cumming.Bennachie,5 Peebles,Letham Grange.