Letters: Grit hits fan when council tackles winter weather

Same day, Meadowhouse Road in Corstorphine sees a council roadsweeper drive up and down at 10am. Totally pointless as everyone’s home and the sweeper can’t get near the kerb for parked cars.

Sunday, January 15, 10.30am, Meadowhouse Road gets swept again. Same cars, same lack of sweeping, same brainless waste of our money. We should form council tax payers’ associations and withhold payment until the lunacy stops!

Norrie Henderson, Meadowhouse Road, Corstorphine

Leisure still gives value for money

I WOULD like to respond to the letter “Leisure price rise is a stretch too far for senior citizens” (News, January 13).

It is completely understandable that David Bellak and other senior citizens are unhappy about what is indeed a significant percentage price increase for their leisure membership. As a not-for-profit organisation facing funding reductions of more than £1 million per annum however, Edinburgh Leisure is forced to make increasingly difficult decisions in order to maximise the overall benefit from increasingly limited resources.

Far from discriminating against older adults, Edinburgh Leisure has for many years operated with discount levels of between 50 per cent and 70 per cent for senior citizens, and this older customer group remains a key priority for us.

Whilst we would love to retain this level of discount it is simply unsustainable in today’s economic climate, especially at a time when there is a far less obvious correlation between age and disposable income than there once was.

The alternative would be to either increase prices for the majority of customers at a time of falling real incomes or reduce our services and close facilities. There are no easy choices.

I believe a standard 40 per cent discount level for older adults and a 50 per cent discount for under-18s still provides excellent value for money and represents a far more equitable pricing structure for us to ensure we make the biggest difference to overall activity levels across the city.

I sincerely hope Mr Bellak will remain a valued customer.

John Comiskey, chief executive, Edinburgh Leisure

Coward lucky to avoid a jail term

RYAN Hanna, the coward who terrorised the old couple (News, January 13), was very lucky he wasn’t jailed. I would have given him ten years.

Would he have been so brave if Mike Tyson lived in that house instead of vulnerable pensioners? I don’t think so.

Dave Warren, Morningside, Edinburgh

Thanks for help after heavy fall

I WOULD like to thank the driver of the white van, the nurse from the Western General and many other people who took off their outer clothing to keep me warm and dry after a heavy fall in Wester Drylaw Place on Tuesday, January 3. Thank you for calling the ambulance and many thanks to both ambulance men for their care.

Mr GL Aitken, Edinburgh

Comedy reviews are not so funny

I AM writing to complain about recent comedy reviews by Barry Gordon. There have been too many mistakes and too much abuse heaped on to comedians.

The Electric Tales review (News, January 11) at no point gives the most basic information – that it’s a storytelling night, and host Sian Bevan is described as “the self-confessed ‘bonny but glaikit’ Sian Bevan”.

A review at The Stand (News, November 15) described one comedian as a “gangly idiot”.

Then we come to Mr Gordon’s Highlight Comedy Club review (News, January 9). Susan Morrison is subjected to an attack smacking of ageism and sexism in which we are told a “52-year-old” disgusts Mr Gordon by talking about sex.

Later, Craig Hill is praised for his references to sex. I’m sure you can appreciate how this inconsistency comes across.

Ross ‘Teddy’ Craig

• Barry Gordon replies: My job is to point out how a production runs, the strong and weak points, weigh up the overall evening and deliver my opinion. To review everything positively does a disservice to both act and audience. If Mr Craig thinks comedians get bad reviews, try being a painter.