Get here quickly, ex-pats, or your city will be sold

Published on Friday 7 November 2008 09:29

SADLY, I wasn't even mildly surprised by your article "Historic Tron to go on market after city fails to find £2.2m for revamp" (Evening News, November 4).

The Tron was purchased for the nation by The Secretary of State for Scotland in 1952, but apparently it can be sold off for beads by the council.

Can anyone explain to me how a council which oversees the expenditure of millions of pounds annually on fireworks (principally for the benefit of visitors, restaurateurs, publicans and hoteliers) and festival grants, is refurbishing the City Chamber, and buying itself a nice set of new robes can't find the money to refurbish a relatively small, but historically immense, church space?

Could it be something to do with discouraging us from standing to hear the bells in a place closer to our hearts, and for which we don't have to buy tickets – unlike the alternative New Year knees-up the council sponsors?

I really am fed up with the bizarre choices these people make. If everyone who reads this voted for any candidate except their sitting councillor at the next election we could get rid of the lot in one go ... and that would be no bad thing.

The First Minister is promoting 2009 as "the year of the return" – when expatriate Scots will come back to their homeland. Those heading for Edinburgh had better be quick, or the council will have sold most of it to fund an Anatolian Moon Festival on the Meadows.

David Fiddimore, Nether Craigwell, Calton Road, Edinburgh

100 beautiful years go up in smoke

UP to November 2006 there was a beautiful tree which stood in splendid isolation in Keddie Park off Largo Place in Leith. It reflected the four seasons with changing colours. It was home and safety to a variety of wildlife and gave simple pleasure to those in Largo Place who could witness daily the simplicity of nature.

That November local youths decided Largo Place would be a great location for impromptu fires. The fire tenders kept arriving and the kids kept rebuilding and rekindling. Their final effort used the tree as a central pole. The bark was badly burnt, but the tree managed to survive.

Last year the tree was left out of the fun and although struggling it survived.

This November 5 the kids were back. The bonfire was re-established, the flames licked 50 feet up our once beautiful friend, and as I write the firemen are back again.

If your kid tells you they had a great fire in Keddie Park, tell them they have killed 100 years of beauty.

Bob Collins, Largo Place, Edinburgh

Don't let the trees stump our progress

MY daughter (she's nearly five and a half ) instructed me to write and pass on her viewpoint as regards Leith Walk losing many of its trees in order that the tram-line can be accommodated.

Her local councillor, Angela Blacklock, promised in a recent letter ( News, November 1) to keep "a keen eye on the replacement of trees"; apparently two trees for every one dug up will be planted on streets which adjoin Leith Walk. Councillor Blacklock has thus demonstrated that she is pragmatic enough to accept that you can't make omelettes without cracking a few eggs.

The viewpoint of one nearly-five and a half year old is also very clear on this issue: "We mustn't let a few lengths of wood with sticky-out bits get in the way of progress!"

Mr Korstiaan P Allan, Whitingford, Edinburgh

Retail of lasers must be controlled

WHY are shops selling lasers to irresponsible people who are targeting them at our aircraft (News, November 4)? Not that long ago, replica broadswords, samurai swords, balls and chains along with all sorts of other hardware were being sold in 'tat' shops. The laws were changed and these shops don't display these objects in their windows any more. Why are lasers not being removed from shops selling them as novelties?

Pilots have a hard enough job without dodging lasers.

And why are lasers not being sold as a specialist piece of equipment in a shop that is licensed? I have noticed a number of shops with lasers in their windows and they appear to be sold as if they were a torch or a novelty when they are not.

Lasers can cause serious damage to eyes and it is well known that they can cause blindness. The use of them at rock concerts is strictly controlled, so why is the sale of them in shops not being controlled?

Andrew Murphy, Royal Mile, Edinburgh

Plenty of places to park yourself

THE writer of the letter complaining about the lack of seats in the new St Andrews Square park (Interactive, October 14) has perhaps never actually been into the park on a nice day.

There are two stone semi-circles around the park on which I see lots of people sitting. Indeed the photo next to his letter showed people sitting on these seats.

Perhaps he expected traditional wooden park benches for vandals to carve their names on?

I do think there are questions about how it cost so much money to create this park and other questions about drunks upsetting people but the park itself is great, so is the one in Nicolson Square but it is full of drunks already.

The creation of these parks is a great thing I think, let's not be negative all the time.

Ian Brown, Craigentinny, Edinburgh