Book retailers and high street decline THERE is much with which I agree in Hugh Andrew's letter (The Last of Scotland's book retailers) published on February 19, but I do have to correct one of the claims in it. He writes: "Bookspeed is the sole survivor of an industry which included such names as James Thin and John Smith." This is not true.

Book retailers and high street decline
THERE is much with which I agree in Hugh Andrew's letter (The Last of Scotland's book retailers) published on February 19, but I do have to correct one of the claims in it. He writes: "Bookspeed is the sole survivor of an industry which included such names as James Thin and John Smith." This is not true.

John Smith's is very much alive and thriving. We did not pursue the path taken by the other companies in that we never went into administration and nor were we sold, but we did change our profile by moving away from the high street to concentrate our retail energies upon the academic and professional market. John Smith's has, now, in excess of 30 stores across the UK and Ireland (eight in Scotland) with all but three of them being located on university campuses. We have, too, a very successful university bookshop in Gabarone at the University of Botswana. We remain a private, independent bookselling company registered in Scotland and we expect to see further expansion.

It is extremely sad to witness the decline in independent high street bookselling in Scotland, but this decline is not confined to this sector of retail. Our local high streets are dying with only the charity shops proliferating and, with all due respect, they hardly invigorate or brighten the environment. Until there are incentives, real incentives, for the encouragement of local retail entrepreneurship, reflecting local demands and interests, then our high streets will continue to decline. Those of us in the west of Scotland need not travel as far as Inverness to see what effect the blandness of the mall can do to a once proud town centre. Visit Paisley's Main Street to see the struggle for survival occurring there.

Willie Anderson, Deputy Chairman, John Smith & Son, Glasgow.

Planning cutback
AT A time when Scotland's planning authorities are under-resourced, under-skilled and under-confident when dealing with the development projects that Scotland urgently needs to support the growth of our communities, the University of Dundee is considering reducing the funding made available to its Department of Town and Regional Planning.

It beggars belief that the Scottish Executive and Scottish Parliament can spend months of careful deliberation to craft a new planning system fit for the 21st century while simultaneously allowing a Scottish university to cut back on a programme designed to produce the high calibre of planning graduates that are so urgently needed now, let alone for the new system.

During the passage of the planning bill, we warned the executive that it was pointless to pass new legislation if resources were not made available to give Scotland the confident planning system it deserves. It seems now the executive is powerless to resource that system if it is willing to stand by and see funds being withdrawn from one of the few remaining planning schools in Scotland.

Allan Lundmark, Director of Planning, Homes for Scotland, 5 New Mart Place, Edinburgh.

Nowheresville'
We live in the entertainment age. Fame counts for everything, obscurity nothing. TV show presenters, people who just appear on TV and now weathermen seem to get dazzled by the limelight. It is cool to be outspoken, and the more outspoken and ill-informed the better. Mr Clarkson, Ms Goody and now Mr Schafernaker who described the Western Isles as "nowheresville" are such examples.

Roll on the day when real talent returns to the fore.

David Carvel, Gillespie Old Manse, Biggar.