Sir, – Dundee missed a huge opportunity to build an expansive water park and swimming centre when the V&A museum was first mooted.
The rebuilt Olympia building, far too small for purpose, was crammed in behind a hideous car park in an inaccessible area of central Dundee.
Several years later we see that the same mistakes have been repeated.
There is a case to be made, depending on taste, that the new V&A structure externally is a grand design.
Inside, though, is a dreadful mishmash of ill-conceived planning and execution.
Outside the building is buttressed up against the good ship Discovery so the impact of both showpiece attractions is diminished.
The hotel and office building opposite should have statues of the planners who approved it on display.
Their heads in a mock up of a pillory might be deemed appropriate.
Once inside the museum visitors are confronted by steeply angled, unenhanced, wood panelling which is haphazardly arranged and totally impractical as an area for either seating or additional display.
As many have already stated, the design of the café and shop are so bad that in reality they are truly embarrassing.
Both the Olympia swimming complex and this new museum could have been major attractions for the whole of Scotland, and beyond.
Sadly it seems nobody had the requisite clarity of purpose and boldness in their vision to make that happen.
Bob Colston.
16 The Avenue,
Castle Huntly.
Cowdenbeath congestion
Sir, – I am glad to see that parking plans for Cowdenbeath High Street and surrounding areas have been put on hold, or at least have for the time being (“Parking plans on hold for further consultation”, Courier, October 1).
As a football supporter and a regular visitor to Cowdenbeath I am most concerned at plans to put in a stopping up order at Pit Road at its junction with the High Street.
In the event of an emergency at Central Park either at the football or the stock car racing then it is essential that emergency vehicles have clear and unhindered access to Pit Road, Hall Street, High Street and Stenhouse Street.
These are all potential entry and exit points to Central Park.
To stop up Pit Road would be complete and utter madness and could potentially cause delay or hindrance to any emergency vehicle trying to get to/from Central Park.
There are also other high risk venues around that area which may also require unhindered emergency access such as the sports centre where there is high potential for an accident to occur.
Pit Road must be kept open at all costs.
Have the fire brigade, police and ambulance services even been consulted over this potential road closure?
More generally they should also reconsider plans to install more traffic lights at various other junctions and plans to make the Natal Place car park a one hour restriction.
These plans could potentially cause major congestion in and around the area, particularly when there is football or stock car racing or any other large event which may take place.
I note that part of this scheme might be to improve things for cyclists but can I ask if the cyclists are making a contribution to this scheme?
How many of them are paying a cycling tax to use the roads?
If and when cyclists start paying this then perhaps they can have a say on what happens with our roads and not before.
Alastair Macintyre.
18 Webster Place,
Rosyth.
Not returning to the closet
Sir, – We in the LGBTQ community feel the need to shout about being proud of who we are because we have faced harassment and violence in our everyday lives; which thankfully is beginning to be relegated to the kind of sneering correspondence received from Willie Robertson (Letters, September 28) and Andrew Lawson (Letters, October 1).
I wish them both the best of luck trying desperately to stuff us back in the closet.
James Boyden.
4 Greenfield Place, Dundee.
Plastic is far from fantastic
Sir, – Having sat and watched the BBC “Drowning in Plastic” programme on Monday night I was shocked and horrified at the global extent of the plastic problem.
I knew it was bad but to learn that there are islands of plastic three times the size of France out there in the oceans is truly mind boggling.
I sincerely hope that the programme was a wake-up call to the world and that people realise just what an enormous problem we face.
We can all do our bit to reduce the use of plastic, so please, everyone out there, think on.
Emma Paterson.
Barncroft Auchlyne,
Killin.
Fest experience failed to sparkle
Sir, – I read with interest The Courier article about the success of Dundee’s Oktoberfest (“City’s Oktoberfest hailed the biggest and best yet”, October 1).
We obviously did not attend the same event.
Although the event was for worthwhile causes, which we are more than happy to support, £20 to stand in a tent was not acceptable, nor were the huge queues for drinks.
The article states that there were teething problems – surely they should have been ironed out on the first night.
The advertised Firkins of Real Ales and Continental Biers were not available at all, which was most disappointing.
I would welcome other people’s comments on this.
Angie Rodger.
60 Provost Road,
Dundee.
UK should have been firmer
Sir, – General de Gaulle kept Britain out of the EU for many years.
Both Ted Heath and Harold Wilson wanted to go down in history as the man who took us in – eventually Heath was Prime Minister when we were admitted.
Because of EU restrictions we lost many good friends such as Australia, New Zealand etc.
Prices escalated, with the price of sugar rocketing so much that people stopped making jam.
There were “butter mountains”, something new to us, and also milk and cheese ones to a lesser extent.
To reduce the size of the mountains, stocks eventually had to be given away or destroyed.
To the best of my knowledge the EU has never produced audited accounts, or even draft ones.
Why did we not, as a major contributor, demand accounts?
We were continually being told to increase our contributions until Margaret Thatcher stood up in the EU Parliament and shouted: “No, no, no.”
The headlines the next day stated that, “Maggie handbagged them”.
The EU did not get the exorbitant amount they were demanding.
We are a small island with limited space – we cannot take in an unlimited number of migrants.
We simply do not have the room nor the facilities to cope with them.
Belgium is notorious for disobeying EU rules and nothing is done about it.
David Cameron went around all the member states asking for support and they all turned their back on him.
He should just have copied Belgium and ignored the EU’s many diktats.
Instead he resigned and walked away.
Hence the mess we are now being left to deal with today.
Margaret Cowie.
149A High Street,
Montrose.
No lack of will to win in the US
Sir, – The US Ryder Cup team has been derided and whatever the pro-game hype, it certainly was not the strongest side America has ever fielded.
Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods were terrible captain’s picks and a system which leaves no option to include Bubba Watson in the team needs to be sorted.
The problem is the Ryder Cup is sport but it is also showbiz – if winning was everything I would have included reliable vets like Zach Johnson.
But, win or lose, the public wanted to see Woods and Mickelson.
However the idea that American golfers lack the “character” of the Europeans is ludicrous.
I won a sports scholarship to California in the early 1960s and can vouch that anyone who thinks US sportsmen lack guts hasn’t competed against them at international or professional level.
Rev Dr John Cameron.
10 Howard Place,
St Andrews.