We should all absorb lessons of our culture, past and present

I was stupid enough to have expected some "authentic" piping, playing and singing - in Gaelic too - from our wealth of brilliant contemporary traditional musicians. Freedom Come All Ye was put in the context of freedom from apartheid, out of reach of freedom for Scotland. It could have been better sung robustly by a group of singers from many countries "at hame wi freedom".

Yes, it was a hollow situation in 1979. We set about filling it as best we could. With friends such as Angus Calder, Joy Hendry, Tom Hubbard, Billy Wolfe, Eric Wishart and Cairns Craig, with hundreds of others around the country and the world who joined, volunteered and supported, I helped to set up the Scottish Poetry Library. The Book Festival was started. Moniack Mhor and Sabhal Mor Ostaig were opened. Scottish Writers Against the Bomb was formed by Joan Lingard and a poster signed by us, as a clear indication of "our values". To lecture in or study Scottish literature became a little more acceptable. All the while small publishers, the Saltire Society and the Association for Scottish Literary Studies continued their efforts.

The gap between "the values of most of our writing - past and present - and the majority of our people" has been deliberately engendered for centuries by the neglect and ignorance programmed in our education system and media policy.

What we saw at the opening ceremony was what it seems the media can understand and therefore provides for us as "culture". Independence will only succeed in changing this if in education and the media we begin to take note of Scottish culture past and present (and its values) so that we may all share in and get to know it in its internationalism, width, depth and diversity.

Tessa Ransford,

31 Royal Park Terrace,

Edinburgh.

IT has been fascinating to see how sharply divided Scottish opinion has been over the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony, I suspect broadly between the rather humourless self-righteous holy Willies in our midst and the more fun-loving, mischievous and even slightly devilish elements in our national psyche.

Undoubtedly the ceremony reached a brilliant climax in Nicola Benedetti playing Loch Lomond like we've never heard it before, Pumeza's moving rendition of Hamish Henderson's great anthem Freedom Come All Ye and Julie Fowlis's beautiful Gaelic song Smeorach Chlann Dòmhnaill.

However, I am a bit surprised that no-one seems to have noticed that there is a line in Freedom Come All Ye which I think could well describe the games themselves: "gallus, fresh and gay" (in both meanings of the word). Mind you if you included the last four lines of the first verse, maybe it could also be used to support the viewpoint of those who disapproved of all the impish shenanigans at the start:

"It's a thocht that will gar oor rottans

Aa thae rogues that gang gallus fresh an gay

Tak the road an seek ither loanins

Wi thair ill-ploys tae sport an play."

John Hodgart,

18 Athol Gardens,

Kilwinning.

I KNOW we should attempt to avoid raising an issue which would be considered political or constitutional during the Games but I'm at a loss to understand why English cyclists are wearing helmets displaying the Union flag rather than the Cross of St George.

Are they ashamed of their national flag, reusing ones from the London Olympics to save money, or has the British flag gone the same way as the British pound, to be considered to be English and British and their property, and this before a vote has been cast?

Duncan Shaw,

18 Dunure Courts, Kilwinning.

I TURNED out with many thousands of others to watch the Common­wealth Games flotilla making its way up the Clyde. It was a terrific sight and evidently was much enjoyed by participant and spectator alike.

Interestingly, a sailing type informed me that the Saltire flown by many of the vessels has an alternative nautical significance to that of national identity and pride. Apparently it signifies "my vessel is stopped, making no way".

No further comment required.

Iain MacDonald,

Herdsmanshill,

Knockbuckle Lane,

Kilmacolm.

I AM extremely disappointed in the BBC's coverage of lawn bowls. The men's pairs final was moved to BBC3 and then was cut off before the end of the match.

We at Crail Bowling Club, like all bowling clubs in Scotland, were advised by our governing body, Bowls Scotland, that our sport was to be showcased in Glasgow. However, we find that coverage is cut to show our English counterparts participating in all sorts of sports at different stages, but few finals. I, like many, am aggrieved given that we at Crail Bowling Club have been working almost round the clock to promote lawn bowls.

It may be of interest to your readers to know that we have hosted visitors in the "Fair Fortnight" at Crail BC for longer than many can remember. Bowlers from the west coast come to Crail every year for a fortnight and our green is handed over to them for two weeks during which they run competitions between themselves and the local members. We unfortunately had a match on when Marshall and Foster were winning gold and were unable to watch. However, many of us had recorded the event, only to be disappointed that we could not see the final in its entirety.

It obviously matters not a jot to the BBC that we in Scotland may wish to watch Scottish participants in the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Elizabeth Myles,

Kirkmay Road,

Crail.

The Games are still less than a week old and it is already clear that the BBC is making a terrific job of presenting them to a global audience. BBC Scotland, as well as being a key part of this operation, still manages to cover the stories of local people and places which are of most interest to its own listeners and viewers in a classic example of a job which is clearly done better together.

Ken Nicholson,

3 Letham Court,

Glasgow.

LIKE David Keat (Letters, July 29), I was shocked and embarrassed to hear about the hike in accommodation rates during the games. Speaking to a couple from Wales I learned that they were being charged £115 per night for a B&B in Irvine, without breakfast and with no shampoo. So much for Scottish hospitality.

Having said that, they commented that even that was preferable to paying £450 in the city centre. Haste ye back? Unlikely.

Irene Elliott,

13 Valeview Terrace,

Glasgow.

CALL me old-fashioned, but I must ask what on earth babies are doing at a major sporting event such as the Commonwealth Games rugby sevens (Letters, July 29). Their attendance may be appropriate at the more informal sevens tournaments but not at a mass-attended event. I do not recall nor would I expect to see any babies at a major football match.

It is hardly surprising that there is no provision for baby-changing facilities. I can see no benefit for such a child in being there and it seems that the selfishness of some modern parents knows no bounds.

Gordon Evans,

5 York Drive,

Burnside,

Rutherglen.