YOU report that Conservative MSP Sue Webber has changed her position on assisted dying, her reason being that "legislative creep" would possibly see safeguards removed in the future ("Tory MSP’s ‘lack of confidence’ prompts assisted dying change", The Herald, January 15). I am led to believe that Liam McArthur's bill is based on an assisted dying bill passed by the State of Oregon in 1997. To date, no "legislative creep" has been suggested nor passed in Oregon to my knowledge.

Six years ago I witnessed the death of a close family member after months of excruciating cancerous pain throughout her body and, although terminally ill, she was still mentally competent till death. Over the last two weeks no solid food entered that body. When asked by the caring nurses if she wanted anything, her response was to put her hand to the side of her head with the index finger pointing like a gun and imitate the trigger being pulled.

Scottish statistics suggest that between 70% to 80% of people support Mr McArthur's bill. In Scotland diseased and suffering animals receive more considerate and compassionate treatment than long-suffering and dying people. Whilst the Scottish public support Mr McArthur's bill I hope our MSPs are able to agree with the people who made them MSPs.

Gordon Caskie, Campbeltown.

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Saddened by cinema's fate

MARK Smith is rightly depressed by the demolition of the Vogue cinema in Balmore Road ("Why are they tearing down this grand old cinema in Glasgow?", The Herald, January 13). The fate of the cinema that especially saddens me is Charles J McNair’s art deco masterpiece, the Lyceum in Govan. Although "B" listed by Historic Environment Scotland (HES), the building is now also listed as being "at risk", which makes me wonder, not for the first time: what is the point of the HES listing system?

Various proposals have been made for the use of this still-beautiful building; one of the latest in 2021 for a concert venue was rejected by Glasgow City Council as it would “detrimentally impact” the building. It’s practically falling apart; how detrimental could it be?

Mr Smith and architect Alan Dunlop make a good point about the location of former cinemas. Like the Vogue, the Lyceum is in a working class area; had it been in a more affluent area, it would probably have been restored or converted, as happened with Charles McNair’s equally attractive former cinema, the Ascot in Anniesland.

Sadly, I fully expect to open my Herald some morning to find that the council has slapped a demolition order on the Lyceum or that it’s been the victim of an unfortunate fire, as happened with Scotland’s only Cinerama venue, the Coliseum.

Stuart Neville, Clydebank.

The Herald: The old Lyceum cinema in GlasgowThe old Lyceum cinema in Glasgow (Image: Newsquest)

Happy smiley memories

AS schoolchildren in the 1960s in Lanarkshire, we looked forward to the annual visit of The Happy Smile Man. This fun character with gigantic head and smile went round all of the primary schools to promote good dental health. We loved to see this big smiling emoji dance around, showing us how to brush our teeth properly. We mimicked his actions and could not wait to get home to practise brushing our teeth with new-found vigour.

The visit from The Happy Smile Man was a fun lesson for most of us, with the exception of one girl who became hysterical each year and had to be taken out of the room, as she did not like the big head.

At the end of the visit, we all lined up to approach the The Happy Smile Man with some wonder and a little trepidation, to accept our new toothbrushes and tubes of toothpaste, to continue the good practice learned in class. We also all automatically became members of The Happy Smile Club. Happy days and happy smiles all round. And I like to believe that lots of us still have our own teeth.

P Dunbar, Newton Mearns.

Royal seat of yearning

I REFER to the fact that the personal prayer chair of Mary, Queen of Scots is to be exhibited in Scotland ("Mary Queen of Scots’ prayer chair returns after 450 years", The Herald, January 13). From her controversial and chequered life she had much to offer prayers about, including her marriages to the Dauphin of France, Henry, Lord Darnley and the Earl of Bothwell; the Protestant Reformation; the Battle of Langside; her flight to England; her imprisonment by Eliabeth; various plots to have her, as the Catholic claimant, installed on the English throne; the timing of Elizabeth’s sanction of her execution; and the preparations in advance of her being beheaded.

Indeed, she lived a life that was full to the end, a life which provided much of consequence for her to take to her Lord in prayer.

Ian W Thomson, Lenzie.

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Twice a night is best

I WAS greatly interested to learn that in London the newly-built 100-seat Bechstein Hall, opening in September, will be staging concerts twice per night, first at 6.30pm with a second performance at 8.30pm - just like variety theatres in previous decades.

This lets concertgoers who attend the first performance choose to have a meal or refreshments afterwards; and for those attending at8.30pm to have a meal or refreshments beforehand. There is no interval nor interruption to the skills of performers reaching their artistic pinnacle. No long nor tedious queues at overworked interval bars.

Can we do the same here?

Graeme Smith, Newton Mearns.

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Universal mystery

AT the end of your article headed "Ring structure discovered so big it ‘challenges our understanding of universe’" (The Herald, January 12) we are told that cosmologists speculate that such immense star systems might arise "when waves of high and low density material are frozen into extragalactic medium".

On reading this clarification I felt a bit like Dan McPhail when Para Handy elucidated the migratory behaviour of the herring.

The captain having explained "If you want to ken - the herrin' iss a mystery, chust a mystery", McPhail responded: "I'm awfu' glad ye told me. I aye wondered."

Robin Dow, Rothesay.