Derail trams plan to save our schools

SCHOOLS, nurseries and community centres to close: is this the change that we thought would happen after the last city council were put out, or is this to cover up the £10 million black hole that was discovered in council funds?

The people should be told what caused this black hole and those who were in power before should be made to explain why it appeared just after the new council was elected.

They have hardly had time to warm their chairs, so was it the incompetence of the previous lot to blame?

These closures are going to have an effect on a lot of people and all this could be avoided by just cancelling the trams and using the money saved to put to a better use.

The trams were voted in not to help the voters but just to please the egos of the opposition parties who voted not pro-tram but anti-SNP after losing the election.

Why should pupils have to travel from Wester Hailes to Forrester?

And one of the nurseries is in a building high up and the excuse for closing is it would be difficult to get to in an emergency, but why now? This nursery has been probably going for years.

The parents and teachers at the schools involved should tell the council to write a hundred lines "Keep the schools, lose the trams".

James Noble, Sighthill Grove, Edinburgh

Closures a lesson in political hypocrisy

I WAS amazed to see the report on the swingeing cuts in the education department of the City of Edinburgh Council.

One point that particularly interested me was the proposed closure of Lismore Primary School, Bingham (again!).

I was at the full council meeting when it was proposed for closure last time, when it was under the Labour administration.

The school was previously kept open because of abstentions by a few Labour councillors and because the Conservative and Liberal Democrat councillors voted against its closure.

A number of Liberal Democrat councillors, who very recently voted against the closure of the school, now seem very keen to close it. This is surely the worst form of hypocrisy. No wonder the general public are completely turned off by politics.

John Smart, Christian Crescent, Edinburgh

Staff not buildings make for excellence

MARILYNE MacLAREN displays a remarkable lack of understanding in her comment that "Children, teachers and staff get attached to buildings" ("School's out as 16 given their jotters", News August 17).

It is not the building that creates an atmosphere where children want to learn, where they feel supported, listened to and cared for - it is the staff.

My son spent his nursery and primary education at Abbeyhill Primary School.

It is an excellent school, a fact reflected in the desire of parents of non-catchment pupils to send their children there. In addition, Councillor MacLaren's wish to see nurseries next to primaries, completely flies in the face of facts. Abbeyhill Primary has a wonderful nursery attached.

Donna Caldwell, Pilrig Street, Edinburgh

Greyhound track support off course

I REFER to the comments made by Helen Martin in her column on August 20 ("Greyhound track still in the running").

Ms Martin may talk about how much the track will bring to the community, but she fails to mention what the track will take out of the community.

The track may bring in some minimum-waged jobs but businessman Howard Wallace has admitted in the past that the management posts will be filled by experienced people, which inevitably means from outwith the community.

The track would also mean more resources required by East Lothian Council to deal with the waste product, ie the racing greyhounds.

This is not to mention the cost of the disruption and nuisance caused to nearby houses.

It has been many years since the last greyhound track in East Lothian was closed. People have a romanticised view of the greyhound racing world of the past. The licensed greyhound racing industry is very different and there is simply no comparison of the Wallyford track of the past to the alleged new stadium.

The industry is responsible for the deaths of thousands of greyhounds each year - a recent government report stated at least 4700 racing greyhounds "disappeared" each year.

The report also stated it is believed that figure was "grossly underestimated". Anyone who doubts this should consider the revelations at County Durham where a man was convicted after admitting to shooting greyhounds who were no good for racing and burying them on his land.

Amanda Wells, Greyhound Action Scotland, Brown Street, Haddington

Infirmary superb on care and cleaning

I HAVE just returned home following an operation at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.

The NHS and Edinburgh Royal Infirmary are the subject of much criticism in the media, but I am sure I am not alone in my admiration of the service given by the consultants and their team in Ward 209.

I should add that one could not fail to notice the cleaning standards in the ward. A cleaner carries out his/her duties and is closely followed by a supervisor who dons white gloves to meticulously check that every nook and cranny has been thoroughly cleaned.

However, visitors to wards can play their part by using the antiseptic gel provided.

Mrs M Lewis, Ferniehill Road, Edinburgh

Please don't call time on Capital pub

I WOULD like to comment on Friday's article "Brewery chiefs call time on Diggers Beer".

I would urge customers not to take it out on the pub itself by voting with their feet. The Diggers has been a great support to us, and if S&N decide that they will not allow the pub to stock our beer then there is little we can do.

As a small, independent and locally-run brewing company employing five people, we will endeavour to maintain and celebrate the achievements of Edinburgh brewers past, and hopefully, with customers' support, continue a strong brewing presence in this great city.

Steve Stewart, Brewer & Director, Stewart Brewing Ltd, Unit 5, 42 Dryden Road, Bilston Glen Industrial Estate

Time to rid Royal Mile of tartan tat

THANK you Geoffrey Nicholsby for taking up the cudgel against those tatty tartan shops on the Royal Mile ("Tartan tat sold by Royal Mile shops is 'cultural rape'", August 17).

The Singhs' argument that selling on the pavements is traditional refers to a time when local produce was offered and when there were no tourists from overseas. This tatty display has no place on the Royal Mile, no place in Edinburgh, no place in Scotland.

Come on council, follow the wishes of the majority of your voters, do something about this.

G Gordon, Lady Nairne Loan, Edinburgh

Trains are key to overtaking danger

V RADZYNSKI believes that increasing the speed of HGVs on the A9, A1 and other roads would make life easier for motorists and also make it safer, for they would not have to take risks overtaking (Your views, August 17).

This is a rather dubious proposition.

Another answer is to reduce the number of HGVs by transferring more freight to rail. In this way the goods would travel more safely and reach their destinations more quickly. And there would be fewer lorries travelling in convoy for motorists to overtake.

David Guild, Grange Road, Edinburgh