I WRITE with some sadness after seeing the large photograph of the shopping trolley on Pages 4 and 5 today ("Swinney refuses to rule out another lockdown", The Herald, November 2). It's not the amount of toilet paper in the trolley, but the bottled water. In the UK we have a good, reliable drinking water supply to our homes, so why is it that so many people buy bottled water?
Could we please have a public health campaign to alert people to the benefits of drinking tap water? It's far cheaper than bottled water and far better for the environment, since it saves all those unnecessary plastic bottles.
Patricia Fort, Glasgow.
BAN ALL FIREWORKS
THANKS to the coronavirus pandemic, public fireworks displays are banned and warnings have been issued about private displays. But we should go further. All fireworks sales and their use should be banned.
They cause air pollution and noise pollution and littering.They terrorise domestic and wild animals. Their explosions cause flashbacks with servicemen who suffer from post-traumatic disorders. Fireworks displays place an unnecessary burden on the emergency services, and accidents caused by them on the NHS.
Why on earth in the 21st century should we permit environmental degradation to celebrate the failure of an attempted Catholic terrorist plot in 1605, or Hogmanay, or the Fourth of July, or Bastille Day, or any other supposed national celebration?
Surely the time has come for thinking people to take a step back and examine whether the supposed pleasure brought by this primitive activity is worth the degradation and harm it causes.
William Loneskie, Lauder.
SNAP HAPPY?
DOES "celebrity photographer" Chris Floyd, whose images of people who have contributed to the arts in their local community (" Snapper to the stars puts lockdown arts heroes in the frame", The Herald, November 2) relish being described as a "snapper" any more than professional journalists would wish to be referred to as "scribblers"?
Malcolm Allan, Bishopbriggs.
FITBA CRAZY
JUDGED on the number of Scottish Premiership matches postponed our national game has not escaped the effects of Covid-19. Perhaps the football authorities and in particular the actual clubs authorised to compete at present would curb the celebrations on field. A simple elbow or fist acknowledgement would suffice. The current huddle and cuddle celebrations should cease in the health interests of all.
Allan C Steele, Giffnock.
PULL TOHER ONE
MY memory of comedian Jack Anthony differs slightly from Russell Leadbetter's ("Nae bother for the comedian Jack Anthony", The Herald, November 2), his gag-line being as I recall, "Nae tother a ba'". His mentor Charlie Kemble,who appeared regularly in summer shows in Largs, was a master of ad-lib, and on asking an audience member to name a subject, could sing off the cuff a song of at least two verses on the chosen subject.
Happier days.
David Miller, Milngavie.
GETTING ONE ACROSS
JIM Sheehan (Letters, October 30) gives the clue "Ubiquitous public figure requires treatment of large contusion", from which we gather that after treatment of the "large contusion" there emerges Nicola Sturgeon. Are her contusions, possibly, being caused by being pursued by a large Salmon(d)? Things appear to be rather fishy just now.
May I add my thanks to the crossword compilers; a very intelligent group of people. It is also good to see that Hamish is still dodging around the grids, as he avoids falling off the back pages, to the delight of this solver at least.
Thelma Edwards, Kelso.
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