Pure dead sad

Mirabile dictu – “wondrous to tell’ – as Michael Kelly’s old Latin teacher would have taught him – a piece by him which does not mock independence or the SNP (“Traffic cone … shows spirit of Glasgow”, 14 November). It was still Glesca-centric and rather puerile though.

Fond as I am of the best of Glasgow humour and patter, there is a widespread delusion this represents all of Scotland and that our ribs fairly tickle at “gonnae no dae that”, the cringe-making “pure dead brilliant” (no wonder Prestwick Airport got into trouble) and so on.

To enshrine a traffic cone on a statue “for posterity by getting planning permission”, as Mr Kelly advocates, to “represent the spirit of Glasgow”, is pathetic. Is this the cultural touchstone of a great city which cheekily claims to be “ Scotland with Style”? 

David Roche

Alder Grove

Scone, Perthshire