Today’s letters to The Courier.
Sir, – Sadly, Michael Marra has left us, but left us with a great wealth in written songs and recordings. I cannot think of any artist who has captured the essence of so many diverse subjects.
Michael Marra’s talent for songwriting and singing carries me along with him, and his uncle Francis Clarke in Alaska, or with Niel Gow’s Apprentice in Australia. He was rightly known as Scotland’s best kept secret.
I had trouble getting tickets for a charity concert he gave with Sheena Wellington at Dundee University simply because I couldn’t find it advertised.
I eventually got tickets and was glad I did, as his live performance was perfect.
His dry humour and humanity shone through in the stories he told before he sang. They were every bit as enjoyable as the songs, and sometimes lasted longer.
He seemed to me to be a modest man, not someone to trumpet their achievements or his charitable works, but his talent spoke louder than he did and the honorary doctorates from Dundee and Glasgow universities recognised his contribution to the nation.
Another songwriter famously wrote: ”Don’t it always seem to go; that you don’t know what you’ve got, till it’s gone”.
I believe this will prove the case with Michael Marra’s works and like those of many great artists they will only be fully appreciated in the years to come.
Tom Minogue.94 Victoria Terrace,Dunfermline.
Too many blunders already
Sir, – In common with most of the respondents on this issue, both in print and online, I am extremely disappointed by the decision to site Kengo Kuma’s splendid building on land rather than as originally envisaged, on the water.
I very much hope that the decision is not yet ratified by those who have a say in this matter and would urge all who feel similarly to make their feelings known to V&A at Dundee www.vandaatdundee.com.
There have already been too many architectural blunders foisted on Dundee in the past 50 years: Tayside House, Hilton Hotel, plans for the new railway station, the car park building adjoining the new swimming pool, to name but a few.
Let’s hope we can avoid yet another.
Ian Gilman.33 Flass Road,Wormit.
Quick action is needed
Sir, – One must hope that the letter by George K McMillan (October 16) does not go unnoticed by the powers that be, and that some action is taken very quickly.
About a quarter of a mile in the vicinity of the Bield there are several patches where ”slow” is painted clearly on the road.
Why do some drivers not do that?
The sign indicating the crossroads is very close to the actual crossing. Could we not have one about 100 yards further back giving people time to slow down?
Friends who live near that crossroads have been asking for more than 10 years for something to be done.
Now we have two fatalities. The funeral of the second back-seat passenger took place on Wednesday and a third lady has only just been able to be moved from Ninewells to PRI to continue her slow progress back to fitness.
She is still in a lot of physical pain never mind the mental anguish.
Cutting back hedges etc is of course the responsibility of the homeowner but making our roads safer is up to those in authority.
Mrs Joyce E Pitt.12 Beechgrove Drive,Perth.
Who took the decision?
Sir, – When I read in The Courier about a dangerous criminal being in the Tayside area, I could hardly believe my eyes. This violent person was in an open prison which he was able to just walk out of to commit further offences.
Whoever was responsible for deciding to move this man into this prison should be hanging their head, or heads, in shame at what they have unleashed on innocent women in their own homes.
If they have any decency in them they should resign from this type of work.
Mrs June Reid.12 Findhorn Street,Dundee.
Misjudgment
Sir, – If Lee Cyrus, the ”violent criminal” currently on the run, was jailed for life for his horrendous crimes just seven years ago, what was he doing on day release from an open prison?
Someone, somewhere has made a terrible misjudgment and should be made to stand up and be counted.
Ian Lamb.Arbroath.
Levels rising
Sir, – Contrary to what Leslie Milligan asserts (October 24), the ”green premise” of a correlation between rising atmospheric CO2 levels and industrialisation is very well founded indeed.
There were no peaks in CO2 levels in 1973, 1988 or 1998 (as he claims). CO2 levels have risen smoothly for at least the past 50 years and, if anything, the rate of increase has accelerated over the last few years.
A quick internet search will confirm this.
Dr Craig Cassells.13 Upper Constitution St, Dundee.
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.