Letters: Plans to chill on hill with skis hit a bump thanks to council

I DECIDED to take advantage of the weather conditions by taking my wife and grandson skiing at Hillend on Sunday.

The access road to the centre had not been cleared, so that only 4x4 vehicles could get to the car park. The rest of us more or less abandoned our vehicles wherever possible on the road and had to walk up.

Snow conditions were perfect for the first time in many years (the dry mats being awful to ski on) and we all had a great time.

I suggested we could go again on the Monday, but no, despite huge demand from skiers queuing for tickets, the council wasn't prepared to pay the overtime necessary to open the perfect leisure facility for a snowy Bank Holiday! The revenue opportunities don't seem to count.

Ho hum, never mind, we would go the cafe for a hot drink and a bite to eat. Negotiating a damaged step on the stairs which would cost the council a fortune in compensation in the event of an accident, for the want of a few pounds to repair it, we found Sunday opening times are displayed as 10am til 7pm We arrived at 5:15pm to be told that the cafe was closed. "But the notice?" I asked. "We've been told that we have to close at 5pm, because we are closed tomorrow!" Er, sorry, run that one by me again? Don't you wonder what a European tourist resort would make of that kind of logic?

Howard Thompson, Pinkie Hill Crescent, Musselburgh

Bin collections hit by bad weather

DO COUNCIL workers not liaise with their superiors?

Due to the recent weather conditions we have had no refuse collections since before Christmas as the bin lorries cannot gain access due to the non-gritting of the roads.

The pavements are a nightmare in the Oxgangs, Colinton and Hunters Tryst areas. Snow has fallen in this end of town every day since mid-December, making it treacherous to walk on any surface.

At times there have been no buses in and out of the area and on several occasions emergency vehicles have had great difficulty on the inner road surfaces. The whole area looks like Winter Wonderland. Some gritting on our roads and pavements would be appreciated.

Yvonne Arthur, Oxgangs Crescent, Edinburgh

Sprains and strains climb for hospitals

WHAT on earth has happened to the roads and pavements being gritted?

Certainly we've all been caught off guard by the amount of snow. And the council has to make cuts, we have to put up with that I suppose!

But the hospitals have been inundated with breaks and sprains and strains. Just for safety's sake, surely main roads and side roads could have been gritted. There seem to have been very few gritters out.

And we all remember gritter men throwing grit on to pavements as well.

There seems to be very few grit bins around these days to enable householders to grit roads and paths.

Some of the streets around Leith and the Links area have been very icy and dangerous to walk on.

Old people and disabled people are either stuck inside or taking their life in their hands just to get their messages.

And I know of people who are walking rather than driving because the roads are so bad.

Come on, help us please.

BS Ferguson, Pirniefield Bank Edinburgh

'Warming' zealots have skated off

THREE weeks of snow and ice and sub-zero temperatures.

Traffic and transport chaos and holiday plans ruined.

A&E dealing with fractures.

Despite all this I am happy.

Not one climate change zealot has been brave enough to mention the words "global warming".

Clark Cross, Springfield Road, Linlithgow

Easy to bridge the crossing name gap

IAN Swanson ("What's in a name?", News, 4 January) seeks the most appropriate name for the Scottish Government's proposed additional 2 billion road crossing of the Forth at Queensferry.

That's easy – The Unnecessary Bridge.

Lawrence Marshall, Chair, ForthRight Alliance, Rose Street, Edinburgh