Today’s letters to The Courier.
Sir, – After reading in The Courier about suggestions wanted regarding Craigtoun Park, I wondered if anyone has thought about holding large music festivals there? You only have to look at the T in the Park festival at Balado to see how commercially successful they can be.
Advice from the Balado team would go a long way towards ensuring a successful event, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be “pop” music to be a financial success.
Classical music, Scottish music, with a couple of well-known performers, might draw in the crowds something like the Celtic Connections festival.
And how about inviting someone like local girl KT Tunstall to give her support? I’m sure she must have visited Craigtoun many times in her younger days.
There are also several well-known groups in Dundee I’m sure might be persuaded to appear an a concert held there.
When one sees the huge tented areas that spring up during other events locally it’s not hard to imagine that something like this could easily be held at Craigtoun. Facilities are already in place toilets, cafe area, etc.
Just look at the tented village that springs up for the golf competitions, or when that Christian group CLAN arrives each year. There must be an opportunity in there somewhere for Craigtoun Park.
Craigtoun is just waiting for a good imaginative management team. It could also be hired out to corporate groups for various functions.
Thomas Pairman.14 Bells Wynd,Kingsbarns.
The wisdom of those meetings questioned
Sir, – An old nursery rhyme goes: “pussy cat, pussy cat, where have you been?”
Likewise, your columns question the wisdom of Alex Salmond meeting with Rupert Murdoch who, like him or not, provides a great deal of employment in Scotland (around 7,000 jobs).
The rhyme goes on to point out that the pussy cat performs a small service to the queen in regards to the problem of a “little mouse”.
Most probably Mr Salmond is performing a similar service for Scotland in maintaining or improving News Corp’s employment levels in Scotland: perhaps employment is rather more than “a little mouse”.
It must be noted that Ed Miliband, David Cameron and Nick Clegg have all met Rebekah Brooks more often in one year (including at the oyster and champagne garden parties), than Mr Salmond has in four.
I question whether we have seen any useful outcome from their multiple meetings: after all, it would have been trumpeted from the highest heavens by now.
Brian Rattray.124/2 Gylemuir Road,Edinburgh.
Ill-informed polemic against young people
Sir, – Mr McMillan’s recent polemic against young people (March 5) was as ill-informed as it was misjudged.
The UK remains the only EU country where 16-year-olds can join the armed forces and one of the few that recruit 17-year-olds.
At 16 you can get married, enter a civil partnership, sign a legally binding contract, be prosecuted in a court of law, change your name, drive a moped, fly a glider, play the lottery and pools and consent to any medical procedures.
You can also leave school, leave home, consent to sex, stand for election as a community councillor, hold your own passport, pay adult fares, get a full-time job and pay National Insurance.
If a 16-year-old is considered old enough to get a job and contribute National Insurance and taxes, get married, start a family and die for their country then why should they not have a say in voting for who runs their country?
The denigration of young people in society, especially by the media, is deeply embarrassing for the country and needs to stop.
Youngsters in the 16 and 17-year-old bracket are currently facing record youth unemployment and will be expected to work longer and receive a lower pension than the current older generation.
They will also have to deal with the fallout of the continuing economic problems facing the world, damage caused by climate change and any number of other problems dropped in their laps by the current generation.
Again, why should they not have a say in how their future looks?
Lastly, for some reason access to alcohol is held up my Mr McMillan as the standard for “adulthood”. In this case I must point out that 16-year-olds can buy alcohol with a meal in a restaurant at the manager’s discretion.
David Scott.Clepington Road,Dundee.
Is this justified?
Sir, – I would like someone to justify the amount of taxpayers’ money that is to be spent on expensive royal holidays abroad in exotic places on the pretence of someone celebrating 60 years in an unelected position.
In an age of austerity where old people are dying of cold and services are being lost due to cutbacks, can anyone really support this?
Alister Rankin.93 Whyterose Terrace,Methil, Leven.
Turbine flaws
Sir, – In his letter supporting renewables as means of offsetting climate change and generating electricity (March 5), Robert Potter omits to mention the fierce controversies swirling round wind turbines.
Those in favour, mainly politicians, neglect the severe poverty and the intermittency of their output and the fact that, since “backup” conventional power stations have to be kept running, wind power doesn’t allow reductions in CO2 output.
(Dr) Charles Wardrop.111 Viewlands Road West,Perth.
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.