I ENJOYED the letters on slavery (Eric Melvin, October 29) and the statues in George Square (Kate Phillips, October 28 and Robin Johnston, October 29). I learned a lot while reading them (which is why I read the Herald Letters Pages in the first place).
Eric Melvin is correct (in my opinion) on the subject of slavery and reparations, while Robin Johnston points out that Sir John Moore and Colin Campbell were both brilliant soldiers, but why they should have a prominent place in such an important civil space as George Square is something that bothers me as much as it does Kate Phillips.
Of course, Glasgow's most famous statue is The Duke of Wellington, not because he was admired by the people of the city, but because the people have given their opinion of him in no uncertain terms, as Banksy understands as well as we do.
George Square needs a complete makeover in any case. The Cenotaph hides the magnificent frontage of the City Chambers and would be better positioned in front of the pub at the other end of the square. While none would object to the statues of Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott, and James Watt, the rest are debatable. Perhaps it's time for the city fathers to ask its citizens; a plebiscite could be held, with the population asked to deselect all but four of the current statue population by placing a traffic cone on the heads of the deselected.
John Jamieson, Ayr.
Read more letters
- Time Glasgow replaced some of its statues with more deserving subjects
- Reparations? The world owes plenty to the British Empire
Do not fear AI in schools
I CANNOT help but think that Emma Roddick MSP is over-reacting to the potential misuse of AI in schools. Her evidence, from your article ("Ministers urged to act quicker over AI threat classrooms", The Herald, October 29), seems to some extent based on the conviction of a 27-year-old paedophile from Bolton.
We do not worry about teaching accounting in secondary schools in case pupils learn how to commit fraud. We are happy to teach art as a subject when some pupils will use new skills to create unwanted graffiti on bus stations. The application of electronics learned at school will doubtless assist future car thieves. I suggest that the possible distortion of the intended use of AI is just another issue for schools and parents to morally embed what is acceptable and verify reality.
I feel that the Scottish Parliament, when discussing AI in schools, should concentrate its priority on the effective use of modern technology to take over the role of tutoring individual young people and developing the feedback programmed learning can provide.
Bill Brown, Milngavie.
Don't worry about Reston station
DAVID Leask need not be so pessimistic about Reston Station ("It cost £20m and there is hardly anyone here. Welcome to Scotland’s quietest train station", The Herald, October 26). Although it had a bad start, due to Covid restrictions, industrial action and staff shortages, not to mention that ScotRail trains do not use it, it is the station not just for St Abbs, Coldingham and Chirnside but also Eyemouth, giving a total of 6,000 potential passengers within five miles.
Now that the full timetable has been restored there will certainly be an increase in usage which I look forward to Mr Leask covering in a year or two's time.
While we can all think of other places which need to have their rail services restored, some of which are mentioned in the article, it should be remembered that Reston is on an existing railway line, which made its reopening easier than places which require a new line to be built and therefore perhaps more attractive for a government looking for "quick wins".
The real issue is that railway enhancements tend to be carried out on an ad hoc basis, a station here, a branch line there, whereas what is required is an assessment of the existing network, agreeing what gaps need to be filled so that popular destinations are served by train, and a long-term programme drawn up to systematically enhance Scotland's rail services.
It is all very well saying that rail may not always be the right solution, implying that all that is required is a bus service, but as motorists are known to be reluctant to switch to a bus that might well not achieve the desired modal shift. Surely the right solution is the one which gets most people out of cars? Judging by earlier re-openings, that would appear to be rail.
Jane Ann Liston, Secretary, Railfuture Scotland, St Andrews.
RLS and the King
I WAS struck by the irony of the photograph on Saturday of King Charles hosting a reception and dinner for the Commonwealth Heads of Government at the Robert Louis Stevenson Museum in Samoa ("Royal welcome", The Herald, October 26).
RLS spent the last five years of his life on Samoa until his death in 1894, and was where he wrote Island Nights' Entertainments which encompasses fact and fiction relating to the South Pacific Islands. He was an ardent and outspoken critic of colonialism. Currently there is a research project exploring this topic at the Universities of Edinburgh and St Andrews in collaboration with the University of Samoa (2022-2025), "Decolonising Robert Louis Stevenson's Pacific Fiction through Graphic Adaptation, Arts Education and Community Engagement".
This stimulated me to scour RLS's writings for an alternative quotation to accompany the photo. I was spoiled for choice, but settled on “Pleasures are more beneficial than duties because, like the quality of mercy, they are not strained, and they are twice blessed”.
Jon Cossar, Chairman, RLS Club, Edinburgh.
Let's have a rethink on marathon
AMEN to Dennis Canavan’s intelligently and firmly-made affirmation that a Commonwealth Games in Glasgow without the marathon is simply not on (Letters, October 29).
For athletes and the public, the 100 metres and the marathon are top events for participation and spectating.
Let’s have an intelligent rethink.
Gordon Casely, (sub-three-hour, London Marathon 1991; press officer to the Scotland team in Auckland 1990), Crathes.
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