Sir, – Anent the question of whether Queen Elizabeth’s death will strengthen or weaken the Union. She died in Scotland, maybe by choice.
Ye canna ding history, she was legitimately Queen of Scots following a line that stretches back before the Act of Union and the Union of the Crowns to James Vl, and the regnal lineage before him, with no attachment to England. Rather than strengthening the Union, the appurtenances attaching to her death have acted to reinforce the hard fact that Scotland is an ancient country and cannot and will not be relegated to some Trussian district of greater England.
When the dust has settled, Scotland will quickly remember, if it had momentarily forgotten, that it is still in a failing state. The “golden age” which dawned after the Second World War with the ascension of the glamorous princess has matured, withered and died. And where are we?
All of the hundreds of billions yielded by the North Sea frittered away, with little of it benefitting Scotland, a stark bit of evidence of which being provided by the rail line to Aberdeen, Europe’s oil capital, with little or no investment since Victorian times and still having a section of single track at Montrose. Can you imagine this being the case in Norway, or Denmark for that matter, which has had relatively little of a North Sea bonus? In contrast to his mother, Charles accedes to a grey age of war, strife, debt and hunger.
The 70 years of Queen Elizabeth’s blessed Union has arguably left us in a worse place than before.
We have an extreme right-wing government and a hapless prime minister chosen by some 100,000 privileged Tories very distant both culturally and geographically from Scotland. Ms Truss is to cut taxes, spend much more money on Ukraine and defence, sort out the NHS, ban strikes and public protest. She is to fix the energy crisis and in particular, in a statement in defiance of the laws of physics, and worthy of Canute, has said that “there will be no blackouts this winter”.
We Scots are nae daft. When Thatcher’s governments, followed by that of Major ignored Scotland and foisted on us legislation that didn’t fit with Scottish sensibilities, but which was simply tacked on the end of English bills, we responded in 1997 in the general election by giving every Scottish Tory MP the boot, and then voting overwhelmingly for the reinstatement of the Scottish Parliament.
The outrage of Brexit and subsequent toxic right-wing policies are deeply felt by the Scottish public who will respond appropriately in due course.
Ken Gow. Bridge of Canny, Banchory.
A lot of hot air over Queen’s bagpipes
Sir, – After witnessing the poignant tribute during our late monarch’s funeral, it was comforting to see so many folk involved from many backgrounds and countries.
However, after most folk showed respect and understanding of the time quite rightly accorded to the close family to mourn in the following seven days, I then read your letters page with a reader putting a political slant on the state funeral – not exactly what the royal family would have expected as they perhaps perused the P&J over breakfast in Balmoral on Thursday.
Perhaps the said reader is not quite aware of the background of a beautiful wind instrument like the bagpipes. Personally, I find them comforting and uplifting at various occasions and indeed, on one said occasion last Tuesday I found the hairs on the back of my neck stand up as I entered Portlethen Parish Church to pay my respects to an ex-colleague.
The bagpipes were invented centuries ago in the Middle East.
They are played at various occasions in many countries on every continent.
The bagpipes is mostly referred to Scottish historical events, but we were certainly not the first.
The bagpipes previously were banned in Scotland as was the wearing of kilts – thankfully those in power lifted the bans in time, perhaps due to latitude or feeling less insecure about themselves.
Our late monarch certainly enjoyed and respected the pipe bands that give us so much pleasure at various occasions, as saliently proven during the state funeral. These pipe bands have many representatives, Scotland per capita is certainly not the highest.
The pipers last Monday were excellent as were the choirs and every other musician involved, not to mention those that led the prayers and sermons and the pall-bearers that had the most formidable task, every person involved was doing what they did out of loyalty, respect and certainly not with a Britain or Scotland agenda on their minds.
As I intimated earlier, the bagpipes are a wind instrument – perhaps your reader knows a lot about more than I do about wind.
Allan Davidson. Auld Toon, Stonehaven.
Praise would give pall-bearers a lift
Sir, – In all the tributes to the Queen and the organisation of her funeral, I have not seen any comments about the eight young soldiers who carried her coffin into and out of hearses, into and out of the abbey and St George’s Chapel and all under the gaze of the world.
What a responsibility carried out so professionally.
Edna Ewan. Eastside Drive, Westhill.
Decarbonising our energy can be done
Sir, – Hardly a week goes by without Charles Wardrop rehashing a letter to you about wind turbines (letters, September 23).
His latest is, as usual, a mixture of misleading information and hysterical opinions. I will take issue with just one aspect.
Dr Wardrop invokes the late Sir David MacKay, formerly of Cambridge University, suggesting he was a life-long opponent of wind power – far from it. In his landmark 2008 book Sustainable Energy – Without The Hot Air, Sir David understood the challenges of powering the UK with renewables and offered this proposal: “There is thus a beautiful match between wind power and electric vehicles.
“If we ramp up electric vehicles at the same time as ramping up wind power, roughly 3,000 new vehicles for every 3 MW wind turbine, and if we ensure that the charging systems for the vehicles are smart, this synergy would go a long way to solving the problem of wind fluctuations.”
To put this into context, there are an estimated 540,000 electric cars (EVs) on the road in the UK and more than 790,000 plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), as of the end of September. So we’ve made a good start.
The National Grid states: “Zero-carbon power in Britain’s electricity mix has grown from less than 20% in 2010 to nearly 50% in 2021. In contrast, power provided from fossil fuels was down to roughly 35% in 2021 compared with more than 75% in 2010”.
No one is saying that decarbonising our power system will be easy, but it is achievable with political will and the dynamism of our industry.
Jeff Rogers. Waters of Feugh, Banchory.
GP appointments healthy in Torry
Sir, – The news today of people waiting weeks for a GP appointment was surprising to me.
I may have been lucky because I managed to get a telephone appointment within two hours and, having got that and talking to the doctor, she offered me an appointment to come to the surgery after our call.
Maybe the times differ in other areas and surgeries, but I must commend my Torry Medical Centre for a non-existent waiting time.
Well done to this medical centre.
Don McKay. Provost Hogg Court, Torry.
Kirrie loon shone among the stars
Sir, – For Scottish “fitba fans the world o’er”, last week’s victory over Ukraine will live long in the memory, not just that it was revenge over opponents that recently ended our World Cup dreams and ranked many places above the Scots in the world ranking, but for the standard of play by all the players involved with the ball being passed with unerring accuracy and speed, so different to past occasions when the ball arriving at a player’s foot was treated as though it was a live grenade that had to be dispatched as quickly as possible in any direction.
On a night littered with outstanding performances stand-in captain John McGinn was deservedly man of the match, his opening goal typical of a player who is always available to snap up the merest chance.
My player of the night, although biased by my love of all connected with the Dons, was Scott McKenna, born just a few miles down the road in Kirriemuir, “wham ne’er a town surpasses” with its list of notable former residents, be it literature with JM Barrie, music with Bon Scott from AC/DC and now fitba’ with Scott.
Schoolboy skills matured and developed on the hallowed turf of Pittodrie are now reaching new heights in the Premier League with Notts Forest.
A well-deserved accolade for manager Steve Clarke, a man whose smile is as rare as an Aberdonian on Union Street on charity collection day, for an inspired double-substitution bringing on Fraser and Dykes, two corners from Ryan delivered so accurately on to the head of Lyndon that even I, as a one-legged octogenarian, could have nodded home the two further goals that sealed victory.
Surely the scorer will add to his extensive array of tattoos with two footballs emblazoned on his forehead. What a night, one to celebrate even if we are brought back to earth in the next match.
Being a Scotland fan is not easy – much more enjoyable for supporters of Brazil, Germany, or whisper it, England.
Ivan W Reid. Kirkburn, Laurencekirk.
Obituary headline was well off target
Sir, – I was glad to see your obituary of my old friend and crewmate Doug Macdonald in Friday’s paper.
But your front page headline, oh dear.
Has the world entirely forgotten that for about 25 years after the war it was RNAS (Royal Naval Air Station) Lossiemouth, HMS Fulmar?
Bill Peppé. Commander (and AWI). Carbost, Isle of Skye.
Cyclists pay tax for roads
Sir, – In response to T Shirron ‘Going round in circles on A92’ (EE, September 22) with the comment ‘C’mon cyclists don’t pay road tax, motorists do.’
Can I remind T Shirron that council tax (which presumably cyclists pay along with motorists) pays for road improvements, not road tax.
Dan Garden, Methlick.
GP praise
Sir, – It’s great Don McKay and Dennis Forbes Grattan get such great service from the NHS.
I’m tempted to become a frequent contributor to the Evening Express.
Having said that, I have no complaints about my practice in Danestone. The staff there have been brilliant for me and my late wife for years.
Bruce Hewat.
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