Today’s letters to The Courier.
Sir, – Recently we received the Fifelife paper with a supplement on how to ”Beat the bugs this winter”.
Wanting to avoid any of the illnesses common to the winter months, I turned to this part with interest. This is what I read: ”Stay warm by keeping room temperature at 23C (73F) or above during the day, and around 18C (64F) at night.
”Moving around at least once every hour … is a great way to keep warm.”
What planet are the people giving this advice living on?
I don’t know of anyone who can afford to keep their heating on at 23C (or above?) during the day and certainly the heating goes off at night for most folk.
The tariff on my energy bills has just gone up 16% and if we change now we lose a ”tie in” bonus of £100.
What is happening to that most basic human right to be able to keep warm and comfortable in your own home?
And who is it who writes these ”advice” articles? They seem to be totally out of touch with the everyday world.
Maggie Taylor.7 Mathieson Court,Auchtermuchty.
Truly, we can be real world-beaters!
Sir, – When an American tourist told Basil Fawlty that he ran the ”crummiest, shoddiest, worst-run hotel in the whole of Western Europe”, Major Gowens, the gin-soaked retired resident sprang to Fawlty’s defence exclaiming: ”No! No, I won’t have that! There’s a place in Eastbourne.”
At the risk of sounding like the major I would take issue with Neil Craig (Letters, November 13) that the 28-mile Aberdeen bypass costs are world-beaters.
In fact, they are as nothing to the scale of costs of the recently completed M74 extension.
Using Transport Scotland’s distance of five miles (8km) for that project and Audit Scotland’s total cost for the extension of £692 million this works out at a world record cost of £138.4 million per mile!
This must have come as a shock to Dr Stephen Ladyman, who as roads minister in 2006 stated in answer to a House of Commons question: ”The average cost for constructing a mile of motorway is £29.9 million.”
It is comforting to know that we can still be world-beaters, the M74 extension, new Forth crossing, Scottish Parliament and last, but not least, the Edinburgh Trams.
”Wha’s like us?” indeed!
Tom Minogue.94 Victoria Terrace,Dunfermline.
Never too young…
Sir, – I’m old enough to remember the excitement of a school trip to the zoo, a museum or even a swimming pool. Now, it seems, according to a picture and caption in the Fife edition of The Courier, toddling along to your local supermarket constitutes a guid day oot.
I can only be grateful that my teachers had a bit more imagination and didn’t just make me traipse around shop aisles in a day-glo green vest.
Mind you, in light of the current financial mess I suppose you’re never too young for shelf-stacking lessons.
David Cruickshanks.Forth Street,Dunfermline.
At a loss to understand
Sir, – I am at a loss to understand why the appalling Abu Qatada has been released to roam around and I certainly object to having my taxes used to keep an eye on him.
Surely he can be deported under the European Convention which states: ”An alien may be expelled before the exercise of his rights when such expulsion is necessary in the interests of public order or is grounded on reasons of national security.”
Dr John Cameron.10 Howard Place,St Andrews.
Get the answer you want
Sir, – Yes I would like Scotland to be an independent country. Yes I would like a bigger pension. Yes I would like to be warm during the winter and ”yes” to a hundred other questions which are designed to produce a positive answer.
As any salesperson will tell you, only ask the question that is almost guaranteed to give you the answer you want. This is not democracy or freedom to choose, but is further proof of how dishonestly the incumbent government of Scotland is prepared to treat the electorate.
”Yes, I want an independent country within a partnership with the United Kingdom” or ”No, I wish to be run by the European Commission, or France, or Germany.”
If our illustrious leader wishes Scotland to be independent, then ask first if we wish to be part of Europe.
Alan Bell.Roods,Kirriemuir.
Girls win
Sir, – Any doubts about the cleverer sex is not up for question judging by the photo of the prizegiving for the Outstanding Life Sciences at Dundee University in the Courier (November 10).
I counted 23 girls and seven boys, more than 3-1 in favour of the girls. I wonder why?
Ed Thomson.Camphill,Broughty Ferry.
Get involved: to have your say on these or any other topics, email your letter to letters@thecourier.co.uk or send to Letters Editor, The Courier, 80 Kingsway East, Dundee DD4 8SL. Letters should be accompanied by an address and a daytime telephone number.