Nessie fantasy

Dr Angus Mair (Letters, 2 February) thinks I mentioned my book about Nessie (Letters, 31 January) “to turn a profit”.

I only write to inform and educate and not to make money.

In fact, that particular book has been out of print for 
several years, although copies can still be found for sale on the 
internet, but with no profit to me.
Niche writers like me rely on measly payments, insufficient to live on. For example, the Public Lending Right Office will shortly pay me 47p for seven library loans of that book during the year 1 July, 2013 to 30 June, 2014.

Steuart Campbell

Dovecot Loan

Dr Angus Mair’s letter concerning Steuart Campbell’s book, which claims that “Nessie” does not exist, was both interesting and entertaining, but he goes too far when he suggests that Mr Campbell should write a similar work debunking the “myth” of Santa Claus.

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I can assure Dr Mair that Santa does exist, because I met him in the 1950s in Patrick Thomson’s store (now the Carlton Hotel) here in Edinburgh.

He used to take time out from his hectic Christmas schedule to meet children and give them gifts, and I still have a model car that I keep as proof of that magical encounter.

Walter J Allan

Colinton Mains Drive

Edinburgh

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