I READ with much interest the article on the life of Sir Harry Lauder ("His is a life that can't be forgotten", Herald Magazine, January 11). I also think it’s a great thing that Jamie McDougall is going to be singing Lauder’s songs.
Your front page teaser says: "Is it time to forgive Sir Harry Lauder?" For what? On one hand, he was criticised for portraying what some call the "Scottish cringe" image, but on the other he met a galactic demand for his songs, in Scotland, the rest of the UK and around the world.
As your article says, some Scots shied away from what might be seen as a collective reflection of who they were, how they lived and how they were perceived by others to be. But Scots have always laughed at themselves, and still do. On the whole, that fact marks a difference between Scots and English.
What’s actually worse than shying away from it, however, is the wish to become "more English", or to be seen as "a class above". Most Scots just accept who we are nowadays, and that’s a very healthy thing.
When Lauder first went to London to make his mark, he was struggling to get work. He was told by the first manager he met there that his patrons would "eat him alive" if he put Harry on. He said he had tried a Scot the year before and he had to fly for his life. He then told Harry, "You’re in a foreign country and the sooner you realise that the better.”
Yes, it’s time that Scots of all backgrounds just happily accept ourselves exactly as we are. A good way to do that is to go along to Jamie’s play at the Tron on 22nd January.
Dennis White, Lanark.
Cut back on Vine
CONGRATULATIONS to Samira Ahmed for winning her sex discrimination equal pay claim ("BBC presenter ‘underpaid by £700,000’ wins equal pay fight", The Herald, January 11). However, is part of the problem at the BBC not that Jeremy Vine's pay is absurdly high? The BBC is not Sky or ITV or Netflix. If Vine and his like want that level of pay let them pursue their careers elsewhere.
There is always fresh, new, young talent coming through and that should be encouraged. Let the old, tired, boring, expensive egotists go on their way rejoicing.
Ian McNair, Glasgow G12.
Democratic course
RE James Rait's letter (January 10) about the West Sands Links at St Andrews, the "Town" has always managed the Links and the four original courses – Jubilee, New, Old, Eden. In my student days in the 1950s, a student could buy a 12-month season ticket for £1.
Many years ago two golfing greats, Jack Nicklaus and the late Seve Ballesteros, had arranged an exhibition match on the Old Course. A few days before the match the organisers discovered that the Old was unavailable. The booking protocol had not been observed.
The match was transferred to Ladybank's Championship course (my former club).
Alex Turpie, Symington.
Say no to Dullsville
IS it now time for planning departments to say no more to housing developers who appear quite happy to ruin the individuality and character of villages and towns, and their previous separating natural land, by almost joining them together with swathes of their predictable new build offerings?
N Jones, Barrhead.
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