Sir, Jim Smith’s letter about the charity Coping With Cancer North East is timely. We received one of their donation bags and my wife and I noticed that it is allegedly a registered charity in England and Wales, but not in Scotland.
Fearing that someone had stolen some of their collection bags and was distributing in Scotland without their knowledge, I contacted Coping with Cancer North East to alert them that their bags were being distributed in our village.
I did not get even a whisper of a reply, which makes me wonder if Coping With Cancer North East is a real charity. Surely, if it is, someone would have contacted me to reassure me, or, if the bags are being distributed without their knowledge, to ask for further information.
There have been scandals in the past surrounding donation bag collections for “charities” and even the big names have been affected.
I would urge people to be cautious about leaving bags full of donated materials out, especially for little-known organisations like Coping With Cancer North East.
(Captain) Ian F. McRae. 17 Broomwell Gardens, Monikie.
Bank pay-offis obscene
Sir, Stephen Hester, chief executive of RBS, is being pushed out after a five-year tenure with a pay-off of £5.6 million. Surely this is totally obscene?
Mr Hester was on an impressive salary along with a bonus which makes the severance settlement even more absurd.
When are the bank’s failures and the cost to the taxpayer going to be resolved?
Jim Balneaves. 4 Tayside Place, Glencarse, Perth.
Some things never change
Sir, I read with interest the article in The Courier by Mark Mackay regarding the problems caused by the A85 passing through the centre of Crieff. Apart from the diminishing air quality caused by the ever-increasing volume of traffic, the constant stream of cars and lorries makes both shopping and communication a very hazardous experience for both young and old.
Whilst, like many others, I am delighted with the efforts being made by the various groups and authorities to remedy the problems and restore quality living, I remain somewhat cynical about a remedy being put in place.
In 1958 a planning inquiry by the former Perthshire County Council came up with a few gems which seem quite apposite some 55 years later!
The following makes interesting reading:
“Giving evidence yesterday at the resumed public inquiry into objections against the new proposed relief road for Crieff, Inspector James Scobie, Crieff, said that if traffic volume doubled in 20 years’ time, it would mean standstill conditions in the town’s main street.
“Mr James S McGavin, the county council’s planning officer said that if the volume of traffic was doubled in 20 years’ time, the position in Crieff’s main street would become chaotic. Consideration has been given to widening the main street but the cost of acquiring property to achieve that would be prohibitive.
“Proper by-pass roads were proposed but rejected. In his opinion the relief road was the correct solution to the problem. The planning authority recognised that Crieff was a holiday centre and therefore decided to keep the relief road as close as possible to the existing shopping centre.”
In view of the present financial climate, I am afraid an early and obvious solution will be yet further delayed.
Colin Mayall. 5a East High Street, Crieff.
High hopes for bowling alley
Sir, Good luck to the investors wishing to reinstate the former bowling alley in Glenrothes town centre. It should attract as many visitors to its doors as local people.
The bingo halls, betting shops and our few remaining pubs seem to be doing a roaring trade (just try getting out of Morrisons’ car park on a weekend afternoon!) and our “carry-out” emporiums.
Let’s have the bowling alley back.
A T Geddie. 68 Carleton Avenue, Glenrothes.
Still important to society
Sir, Your editorial piece, A little faith can go a long way, June 11, was a superbly written and balanced piece of journalism.
I do not understand why a few hundred, albeit very well organised, Scottish secularist activists want to drive out even the very minimum level of Christian observance in Scottish state schools.
Apart from anything else, schoolchildren should see in practice some of the belief system which has been part of Scotland and its people for centuries.
In our fragmented society church groups are still far more important and popular in the villages and towns of Scotland than any small secular society or club chattering in our big cities.
As your piece put it, even those with no interest in organised religion should be glad to know “their children are being taught some traditional values”.
Well done The Courier. I am sure you spoke for many.
Angus Logan. 2 York Road, North Berwick.