YOU report that the first tunnel boring machine (TBM) had arrived in Britain from Germany, albeit in more than 1,000 parts to be assembled over the coming months, to bore a 10-mile long tunnels as part of the HS2 route ("HS2 tunnel machines arrive for assembly at UK site", The Herald December 8).
My fag-packet Pythagoras calculations tell me that such a machine could bore a tunnel under the mountains somewhere between Arrochar/Ardgartan to rejoin the A83 north of the Rest and be Thankful, of proportions sufficient to allow for the subsequent construction of a two-lane roadway in full compliance with UK road requirements.
I realise that the rock types for such a tunnel will be very different from the HS2 route rocks but its flint sounds pretty hard to me, so come on Scottish Government, why not give it a try?
Duncan Miller, Lenzie.
CHINA SYNDROME
I RECENTLY bought a set of exterior Christmas lights online and was a little surprised at the delivery charge of £7.50 plus vat. On receipt I found that they had been despatched from Airdrie. Unsure when ordering the lighting that it would include the necessary fixings to attach them to my guttering, I took the precaution of ordering these separately at a cost of £5.79 to include postage from ... China.
I fear that in a post-Brexit world even more of our goods will come from there, including the bulk of the electric cars the Government expects us all to be buying by 2030.
David G Will, Milngavie.
LIVING IN THE MEMORY
YOUR "Remember when ..." feature on STV’s Garnock Way (The Herald, December 9) made me think of its forerunner, High Living. Centred around a Glasgow family rehoused in a high-rise flat, 1971 or so saw its demise. Such notables as Matt McGinn (Sammy, a bus driver, I think), and Marjorie Thompson, former Glasgow Unity player, featured, among others.
My main interest? Family: Betty Henderson as Gran Crombie. A main role, and a part she played with zest, as I remember.
Almost surreal to realise that she died in August 1979; Garnock Way, I note, last aired in July of that year. Thanks for the memory. Brian D Henderson, Glasgow G44.
REINIVENTING THE WHEEL
UNABLE to decipher the Word Wheel in Monday’s Herald (December 7), I gave up and fed the letters into an anagram solver in my iPad. The solution that came out was skiagrams, a new one on me, which I found was a type of radiograph or X-ray. I was therefore surprised on Tuesday to see that the correct answer was kissagram. I then remembered that plurals aren’t allowed.
What fun the Teasers page provides each day.
Brian Logan, Glasgow G42.
SPROUTING OFF
I NOTE with dismay your report headed “Hot summer sees bumper crop of sprouts” (The Herald, December 8). The news that Brussels sprouts are, well, sprouting does not add to the festive cheer. I thought this might be blamed on SNPBad, but I see it refers to Staffordshire, so it is definitely the fault of Boris Johnson. Then again, the clue is in the name. So whether the news is of a hard Brussels sprout or a soft Brussels sprout, the outcome is the same: unwanted Brussels sprouts. There, now do you understand Brexit?
Hamish McPherson, Giffnock.
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