Letters: Assembly Rooms won’t be left on the Fringe in August

“We’ve got the best Fringe shows,” she declares. Not any more, honey. There’s a bunch of new kids on the block.

And I’m not just talking about the superb line-up at the newly refurbished Assembly Rooms (Stewart Lee, Camille, National Theatre of Scotland, etc), but at great new Fringe venues such as St Stephens and Summerhall.

The so-called “big four” might well have been slapping themselves on the back but that cartel is so last decade.

And please don’t worry about us having fun on George Street. We will. Not only is the Assembly Rooms all dressed up and ready to party, but we’re creating a glorious new Continental-style terrace with the Famous Spiegeltent, a free classical stage and not a flyposter or aluminium fence in sight.

It’ll be the place to relax in comfort and soak up the festival atmosphere without getting ripped off. And right slap bang in the heart of the city centre.Check it out, Karen. Not even the trams can stop us now.

Tommy Sheppard, director, AR Fringe, Salt ‘n’ Sauce Promotions Limited, York Place, Edinburgh

Bankers must be held to account

I READ about Royal Bank of Scotland bosses claiming they were worth their mega salaries and bonuses despite protests from shareholders (News, May 31).

I could hardly believe my eyes when I read RBS chairman Sir Philip Hampton saying that the bank is “getting good value out of this team”.

These people have no shame, and also clearly have no clue about the struggle ordinary people have had to make frozen salaries stretch further as prices for everyday goods, food and heating have climbed. The bankers live in a different world.

After reading your article, I found a letter from RBS in my mail, informing me that the branch where I had joined the bank as a teenager 20-odd years ago was closing down. So, more inconvenience for another long-term customer.

Perhaps Sir Philip is happy the bank is getting good value out of these workers, but the ordinary account holders quite clearly are not.

Kate Colquhoun, Northfield, Edinburgh

Make these filthy litter louts pay

THE Waterfront Park is a beautiful part of the city and I was shocked to say the least at the mess people have made of the grass with barbecues.

Also there are bottles, bags and papers strewn all over the place. Men were working hard to clean it up, and one of them said it takes four hours.

I wonder if the people who made the mess are proud of this. They are filthy people, why should they get away with this?

M Banks, Wester Drylaw Road, Edinburgh

Where are all the Scottish workers?

FOLLOWING a recent visit to the Capital and a stay of several nights in a hotel, I am not surprised that there are more than 300,000 unemployed people in Scotland.

In the hotel I stayed in there was not one member of staff that was Scottish, including the receptionist.

Practically every shop I went into I was served by an Eastern European speaking member of staff.

With all the benefit changes and people encouraged to get back to work, why are there so few Scottish people working?

Gordon Kennedy, Simpson Square, Perth

Greens will be good for Capital

As a former Labour councillor, Bill Cunningham’s support for the Greens is welcome (Letters, June 1).

But he seems misinformed about the Greens’ position on the coalition in Edinburgh.

As set out more fully on our website, the arithmetic did not work for the Greens to be a formal part of coalition on this occasion.

But far from “carping from the sidelines” we have already been putting forward constructive ideas to make Edinburgh a greener and fairer city. We will continue to do so over the next five years.

Gavin Corbett, Councillor for Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart