Sir, – Claire Warrender’s excellent report of January 8 about the Alhambra Theatre, Dunfermline, rejecting “misleading and inaccurate’ closure-threat reports” records a very bad impression of The Auld Grey Toun.
It quotes a statement from The Alhambra Theatre Trust, firstly pleading poverty and then implying it wasn’t safe to leave the theatre unattended over the holiday period without boarding up all the doors and windows.
This point was graphically illustrated by a photograph showing a boarded-up building as if it were in a war zone.
Prospective visitors to Dunfermline reading this story will no doubt don their body armour and hard hats before venturing forth for a night in our town.
Shame on the Alhambra Theatre Trust for seeking public funding on the back of a sensationalist stunt that damages Dunfermline’s image and will surely be counter productive in its aim.
Tom Minogue. 94 Victoria Terrace, Dunfermline.
Will we be made to wear kilts?
Sir, – The SNP have decreed that Gaelic language plans are a statutory requirement for all public bodies in Scotland.
Police Scotland are proposing dual-language branding on police uniforms, signs and vehicles.
There are approximately 58,000 Gaelic speakers in Scotland, the vast majority of whom live in the Highlands and Islands which, as everybody know, is hardly a hotspot of organised or any other sort of crime.
All these Gaelic speakers will be fluent in English and so communications between the police and any Gaelic-speaking offender will be no problem.
According to a report by the Oxford Migration Observatory, the number of non-Scottish born people living in Scotland rose from 191,000 in 2001 to 370,000 in 2011 and will have risen significantly since then.
These are people who do not have English as a first language and a large number of whom will have a poor grasp of it. The largest groups are Eastern European, mainly Poles, but alsoIndians and Nigerians.
Surely rather than embarking on costly and useless navel-gazing ideological projects, the Government at Holyrood should be focusing on improving the means of communication where it can do most good.
I question the mindset of those who dream up these schemes and wonder how long it will be before all school children will have to wear kilts.
Donald Lewis. Pine Cottage, Beech Hill, Gifford.
Families would pay cycle tax
Sir, – Trevor White tries to insult me with his “a ridiculous response from a Linlithgow reader” comment as he pursues his dream of providing cyclists with pavement lanes and other facilities at no cost to the cyclist (January 5).
I would suggest that the majority of cyclists, or a family of cyclists, would be willing to contribute say £80 towards building expensive but safe facilities.
The expenditure on cycle lanes and cycle-related expenditure in Scotland for two years was £70 million with even more scheduled.
Motorists and the non-cycling public contribute most towards cycle facilities.
Every cyclist, or family of cyclists, should pay an annual licence fee, have a compulsory identification number and compulsory third-party insurance.
Too many rogue cyclists regularly break the Highway Code with impunity and have no insurance.
The cost of a bicycle, helmet and all the trimmings are expensive so it cannot be said, as Mr White states, that taxing cyclists would reduce cycle usage.
The only thing that surprises me is that Mr White did not play the climate-change card and suggest that cyclists were saving the planet by reducing Scotland’s miniscule 0.13% of global emissions.
Clark Cross. 138 Springfield Road, Linlithgow.
Stop preaching about health
Sir,- I must agree with Nigel Farage’s views on new alcohol advice (January 9).
I am getting sick of doctors and other state officials telling me what I should and should not do. If it is not alcohol they are bleating about it is sugar or some other substance.
I believe there is a high incidence of alcohol abuse within the medical profession.
Perhaps those in the medical profession should start practising what they preach?
I have also heard of numerous cases of fitness fanatics who go out running every day and have dropped dead at the ripe old age of 33 but, on the other hand, I personally knew an old lady who started smoking at the age of 14 and was fond of her tipple too and did not die until 99 years of age.
I think I am now going to take the advice of Nigel Farage and have a few more pints and possibly smoke while I am at it.
After all I am an adult and will decide what is best for myself.
Alastair Macintyre. 18 Webster Place, Rosyth.
Why the high cost of funerals?
Sir, – The first Baby Boomers have reached three score years and 10.
A time of plenty beckons for care home providers and, ultimately, the undertaker.
For those of 70, who own their home, have life savings and who have honoured their tax responsibilities, this shall mean when the unavoidable comes, the fruits of a life’s endeavours shall fall into the grasp of those investing in care homes and funereal services.
The introduction of the Welfare State in 1948 provided health care for all, unfortunately provision for the grave was omitted. No person should suffer the indignity of a pauper’s grave.
A dignified burial or cremation with marker should be provided for all, regardless of status.
Those of us who can afford the undertaker’s rates, could choose to pay for the extra service if they wish or could opt for a welfare burial.
A report by Church Action on Poverty showed rising funeral prices are leaving people struggling.
Last year the cost of dying rose seven times faster than the cost of living. May I ask why?
The Scottish Government announced recently that it was commissioning a new study to identify ways of combating funeral poverty. It highlighted figures released in Royal London’s National Funeral Cost Index which found that funeral costs in Scotland averaged £3,481 last year compared to £1,815 in 2005, a 92% increase in 10 years.
Not even fuel costs have spiralled to that extent.
Edward F Valentine. 15 Napier Place, Marykirk.
Join protest over cuts in Angus
Sir, – The British Government demands austerity while ensuring luxury for themselves and their cronies. The Scottish Government makes anti-austerity noises while not putting up much of a fight.
The same goes for Angus Council.
Meanwhile, those who caused the problems get off scot-free. We are fed up with accepting punishment for their sins.
Angus Council has got away with services cuts for far too long.
In all of Scotland, Angus is the place with the lowest school clothing allowance, which hits poorer children.
Angus cut laundry services for incontinent adults, causing considerable misery. Angus cut the home-help service for disabled/elderly folks. And Angus Council is now seeking to cut services to folk in sheltered housing.
That was what proved the last straw and finally led to protests against the council from late October on, in which the newly-formed Angus Against Cuts group played an active part.
Angus Against Cuts continues to support the protests of sheltered housing residents.
But although that continues to be a major focus, it isn’t our only concern.
The next full meeting of Angus Council will be at 2 pm on February 11. Providing we’re not flooded, or snowed up, we intend to protest outside, The Cross, Forfar, from 1.30 pm that day.
We call on everybody concerned about sheltered housing in Angus, and anybody concerned about attacks on services, to join in the protest.
Hazel Kennedy, Arbirlot. Dave Coull, Edzell. Andy Duncan, Forfar. Janet Addis,Friockheim. Keri Malone,Inglis Court,Edzell.