Today’s letters to The Courier.
Sir, – Re: George Gavine’s letter on Thursday about Ian Fleming’s grandfather, Robert, the famous merchant banker, who came from Lochee: I wish to point out that the story does not stop or start there, but in the Highlands beyond Blairgowrie.
Ian Fleming’s great-great grandfather, also called Robert, was the farmer of Middleton of Dalrulzion, at the foot of Glenshee, in the early 1800s. His son, John, started a lint mill on the River Isla above Coupar Angus in 1840, but his business failed. John moved to Lochee where he worked as a department overseer at Tay Works for £1 a week.
Robert, the future merchant banker, was born there in 1845. He first made his money out of jute used for sandbags in the American Civil War. His younger brother became Lord Provost of Aberdeen and was knighted. Five siblings died of the croup.
Robert’s neighbours from the Craigton of Dalrulzion also moved to Dundee and became fellow directors with Robert Fleming in the Matador Company, another Dundee-led venture, the fourth-largest cattle ranch in the United States.
It is interesting how Dundee businessmen directed financial concerns in USA, and world-wide, at that time; behind their humble beginnings in the jute mills sometimes lay a farming background as “Highland cousins”, speaking Gaelic in their childhood.
Returning to Ian Fleming, the author, he has certainly caught the world’s imagination but I have to admit I prefer John Buchan!
Hamish Robertson.Princeland Road, Coupar Angus.
Dredging a way to avoid more misery
Sir, – As a lifelong proponent of good land management and a keen observer of the River Tay, which is one of the boundaries of my farm, I feel now is the time to examine in some detail the regulatory powers enacted upon us all by Sepa and, if necessary, curtail them.
Whilst I accept some regulation is necessary and in some cases even desirable, surely environmental concerns should be broadened to include the effects on those householders who are ever more frequently subjected to the flooding, and sometimes even destruction, of their homes.
If the regulatory authority was compelled to allow the dredging of river beds, as happened historically on my stretch of the Tay before the practice was prohibited, this would at a stroke achieve more water-carrying capacity and be instantly achievable. The only requirement would be a larger excavator.
Dredging of built-up banks of mobile gravel deposits, in my view, is a more immediate, practical and cost-effective way of alleviating much human misery.
It achieves savings in time and expense with emergency services and avoids delays inherent in studying, designing and constructing above-ground riverbank flood prevention measures.
Alistair Henderson.Wester Carse Farm, Aberfeldy.
Planners must be answerableSir, – I have just read the government reporter’s findings regarding Green Cat energy and West Coast’s appeal against Fife Council’s refusal of the bid to build a windfarm on Clatto Hill.
His very professional and unbiased report listed the many reasons why this area of Fife is not suitable for developments of this scale.
The question has to be asked: how could the head men in the planning department get it so wrong by advising that these developments be approved?
If they managed to get these two applications so badly wrong, what about the Earls Seat, Little Raith and Kinglassie Westfield windfarm approvals we are stuck with?
Norman Nicholson.Devon Farm Cottage,Cults Road, by Kennoway. Independence a taxing issue
Sir, – I see Alex Salmond has called for the vote on independence to be held in 2014, exactly 700 years since the Battle of Bannockburn.
It will be interesting to see if he calls for the vote to be held on June 24 the day of the battle and play on the “Bannockburn factor” in the hope of influencing the more impressionable voters.
This is also the reason he is considering giving the vote to 16-year-olds who are either still in school or have just left and have neither the maturity nor the experience of life in the real world to make this momentous decision, which will affect Scotland forever.
It’s time some folk woke up and realised that, in our small country with just 5.2 million people, there are just not enough taxpayers to support the needs of a modern country.
Thomas Pairman.Bells Wynd,Kingsbarns.
Memories of colder times
Sir, – Re: your article “Stay warm advice not based on reality”, I am old enough to remember heating during the Second World War.
My grammar school had to be kept at 60F. We kept our living-room at 60F, but there was no heat in the rest of the house quite normal in those days, war or no war.
We came to no harm!
Mary Smith.Silver End Cottage,Maryburgh, Blairadam.
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.