I MAY not exactly share David Stubley’s view on Glasgow Life (Letters, February 1), which has done some brave things in its time, but he is absolutely right about the sham that is sport “legacy”. The much-missed Doug Gillon often called out “legacy” for the myth that it is – an artifice invented to justify the immense public funds spent (laughably called investment) in sport and major events. This charade begat the growth of the self-serving bureaucracy of sportscotland, sport England, UK Sport, themselves demanding disproportionately large governing bodies for reasons of “governance” and completely unjustified by the output of businesses which themselves are almost universally seasonal.

I am reminded of a meeting of the Health and Sport committee at Holyrood where Neil Findlay MSP as chair asked Mel Young and Stewart Harris, the chair and chief executive of sportscotland, what sportscotland did for children in deprived areas. Answer came there none. Nothing. Why? Because their “model” is predicated on membership of sports clubs mostly sustained by parent and child succession. Elitist and predominately middle class by definition and despite the spin of unaudited “activity” figures, in constant decline.

Time to rip it up and start again, downsize all the window-watching agencies significantly, and put serious physical activity and sport choices for all back into our schools. It is clearly the optimum route to the customer base. And before spurious “activity” figures are produced in defence, to demonstrate how far the bar has dropped, my state school put out 15 rugby teams most Saturday mornings. Interestingly the current health minister starred in one of the many girls’ hockey teams. Inculcating an active mentality in all is an “investment” in health and schools are the key.

John Dunlop, Ayr.

Radar love?

DAVID Miller (Letters, February 1st) gives an example of a palindrome from his collection. I can remember, years ago, in Poem of the Day, that there was an excellent example of the genre in a verse called Drawn Onward. "Madam I'm Adam" was quoted (a longer version is "Madam, in Eden I'm Adam'" but Adam is trumped by his lady-wife who instantly replies "Eve".

The person who wrote the poem was called F Lamport, of whom I can find not a trace. The last verse of the poem is:

I've wrung the alphabet

Repeatedly to get

A Janus-phrase as spry

At backward somersaults,

But as each hope turns false

IN WORDS, ALAS, DROWN I.

Thelma Edwards, Kelso.

THE palindrome-seeking David Miller will only need to wait until February 12 of next year, rather than 12/12/2121 for the next palindromic date. Such dates will occur regularly from 12/02/2021 until 29/12/2192, with the longest gap being just less than 11 years. Thereafter there will be a gap of 808 years until 10/03/3001 for the next date that is a palindrome.

Of course with a change in the format in which the date is displayed there will plenty occasions to satisfy Mr Miller between 2192 and 3001 (10/2/2201 being the first such date where leading zeros are dropped).

Sandy Gemmill, Edinburgh EH3.

I WONDER if David Miller has ever been to Glenelg?

Ian W Thomson, Lenzie.