Readers’ letters

Speedy response

Dear Ed, – In response to the letter headlined Road to Despair (April 21). In 2006 the Scottish Executive issued new guidance on setting local speed limits.

At the same time the Executive requested all councils to review the speed limits on all of their A and B class roads by 2011.

The aim of the exercise is to standardise speed limits throughout the country, with the expectation that this will improve overall compliance.

Due to the large number of roads to be assessed in South Lanarkshire the exercise has been conducted in three phases.

A reduction in speed limit at 28 locations was identified as a result of the Phase 1 surveys. The statutory process to change the speed limits, including advertising the proposals to the public, took place during the second half of 2010 and the reduced limits were implemented during spring of this year.

Regarding the speed limit on the A73 between Nemphlar Road and Lanark, signs have now been erected indicating that the speed limit in both directions is 40mph. There may have been some confusion due to the phasing of the erection of these signs.

The cost of implementing this stage of the review was met from the Scottish Government’s Cycling, Walking and Safer Streets grant and the effectiveness of the new limits will be monitored during the forthcoming financial year (i.e. 2011/2012).

It should also be pointed out that the number of fatal and serious accidents on South Lanarkshire roads has more than halved in the last 10 years.

This reflects the amount of work that we have carried out over the past 10 years to make our roads safer.

With regards potholes, South Lanarkshire Council receives defect reports from many sources such as our own staff and councillors, telephone calls, letters, e-mails and via our website.

These reports are inspected on site and instructions are issued for repairs within a defined timescale depending on the severity and risk involved with the defect.

With regards to resurfacing schemes we have a scoring system in place which ensures the roads most in need of repair are treated in order of priority. – Yours etc.,

GORDON MacKAY,

Head of Roads and Transportation,

South Lanarkshire Council.

Kate’s myrtle sprig

Dear Ed, – As Kate walks down the aisle on Friday, her bouquet will contain a sprig of myrtle. In 1841 a slip of myrtle from Queen Victoria’s bridal bouquet was propagated in the garden of Osborne House, Isle of Wight.

From then on all her daughters and her son’s wives included a sprig from the bush in their bridal bouquets as have successive royal brides.

Legend says this plant, sacred to Venus goddess of love and a symbol of married happiness, came originally from the Garden of Eden with Adam nd Eve.

Allowed to take three things with them they chose a grain of wheat for practical reasons, a date stone for the finest fruit and a sprig of myrtle for the loveliest scent in the world.

Sir Walter Raleigh is said to have brought Myrtus Communis from Spain. Sometimes called the Paradise Plant; happiness and long life were supposed to bless the planter of it if a slip rooted successfully. I would like to wish William and Kate both of these. – Yours etc.,

MARGARET YOUNG,

Castle Yett,

Biggar.

Hard war memorial

Dear Ed, – It was with much interest that I read the letter from Col David Cranstoun in the Gazette (April 14).

Col Cranstoun’s family have a long connection with the Regiment and when I made contact with him several years ago he expressed an interest in the work being done to ensure that the Lanarkshire Yeomanry would no longer be the county’s Forgotten Regiment.

Perhaps not surprisingly, considering the tragedy of the 155th (Lanarkshire Yeomanry) Field Regiment RA in the ill-fated Malayan campaign and the horror that they were to subsequently experience as POWs, it is they who tend to concentrate our minds.

However, we must also remember that their sister Regiment, the 156th, also had a hard war in Europe as the Regimental Roll of Honour in St Bride’s Church, Douglas, poignantly makes clear.

And, if for no other reason, that is why our aim is to have a memorial to all the men of the Lanarkshire Yeomanry who have served during its long history.

We are currently assisting the Friends of Low Parks Museum in transcribing the WW1 War Diaries of the Lanarkshire Yeomanry.

And we have been struck by the loss of life and suffering endured by the Regiment while in action in the Dardenelles, the Middle East and latterly on the Western Front.

We have been heartened by the interest shown by local Clydesdale councillors in our project and South Lanarkshire Council is currently investigating various options as to an appropriate site for a memorial.

Our initial thoughts are that it would be preferable for a memorial to be sited on public land so as to ensure free access both now and in the future.

And we are hopeful that this first step in the process of recognising many brave men from this area will soon come to fruition. – Yours etc.,

CAMPBELL THOMSON,

Lanarkshire Yeomanry Group.