Readers' letters

WHERE'S DUNKIRK SPIRIT?

Dear Ed, — In reply to the two letters complaining about the state of the road and pavements in Lanark and Carluke during the bad weather, I would like to say well done to South Lanarkshire Council for keeping the main roads open and allowing access to the smaller outlying villages.

Everyone has to remember that this is the worst weather for 47 years.

If the council had spent thousands on stock-piling grit and recruiting extra staff to clear pavements and we had no snow then tax payers would have slated it!

The council has taken the decision to keep main roads open and ration grit so it doesn't run out and is still getting slated. Dammed if it does, dammed if it doesn't!

All this extra gritting and having drivers on standby will come at a cost and no doubt the council will now have to make difficult decisions as to what roads need urgent repair after this bad weather.

I'm sure if the council proposes that we all pay twice as much council tax next year so it can guarantee every road and pavement in South Lanarkshire is gritted it wouldn't be too popular.

What happened to the "Dunkirk spirit"? I have been told by older family members that in the "good old days", when we had winters like this every year, everyone pulled together, cleared their own driveway and path, the pavement outside their home and any path and driveway of any elderly or housebound neighbour. Every shop also cleared a path for its customers.

Maybe in 2010 if we all got a bit of community spirit and helped thy neighbour instead of relying on the council to clear pavements, we would all be happy when the next snow comes. And it will, but would it stop these people moaning?

Most of my neighbours are happy to pull together and have even cleared snow off the road instead of waiting for a plough.

Don't get me wrong; we are not the perfect village, and some people haven't even bothered clearing their driveway.

But at least we are not just relying on the council to come and clear it for us and are happy the council has kept the access to the village open which, considering the circumstances, is pretty good and

appreciated. — Yours etc.,

FIONA BARR,

Cleghorn.

LANIMER SUPPORT

Dear Ed, — With reference to the correspondence which the Gazette has received concerning the decision taken by the Lanimer Committee to change the method by which the Lanimer Queen and Lanimer Court are selected, I write to provide some further information supplementing that which appeared in your article of December 3, 2009.

The problems where some of the local schools have had difficulty in filling all of their allocated places have not just been restricted to the smaller primary schools.

Recently, these difficulties have also been encountered at what would be termed the large schools.

While there are other reasons why pupils and their families have not felt able to put their names forward for consideration in the past, it is known that others have not done so because they did not wish to participate in a popular vote.

The decision to make changes has not been taken lightly and was only agreed after much deliberation. Possible amendments were first discussed by the Executive Committee at a meeting held earlier in 2009.

The head teachers of the five primary schools, and one of the assistant head teachers at Lanark Grammar School, were then fully consulted on the suggested changes, before the final proposals were put to a special meeting of the Lanimer Committee in November.

After careful consideration, with all members being able to contribute to the discussions, a vote was taken and the proposals were unanimously approved by those in attendance.

Given that the changes were backed by all six schools, unanimously approved at the meeting and as preparations for the selection process for the 2010 Lanimer Queen and Lanimer Court are already underway, the Lanimer Committee has confirmed that the revised procedures will remain in place.

While the Gazette has received letters expressing astonishment over the changes, and other individuals may have concerns, the Lanimer committee has received comments in support of the revised process, including from youngsters who have participated in previous votes.

The Lanimer Committee is always keen to hear of suggestions to further improve any aspects of our celebrations, or from anyone who is willing to assist in the preparations for Lanimer Week each year.

All comments and suggestions should be directed to the Lanimer Committee via the honorary secretary. Yours etc —

DAVID H STRACHAN,

Chairman,

Lanark Lanimer Committee,

Armadale Road,

Lanark.

ALMOST BANKRUPT

Dear Ed, — Jimmy Hood has a dig at Alex Salmond by instancing Ireland cutting services because of the recession.

But Gordon Brown and Jimmy are scared to admit that the UK is also near bankrupt and will suffer worse than Ireland after the election!

And why Ireland? Jimmy should have mentioned Norway, which managed its oil revenues and economy sensibly and controlled its banks and as a result is fine!

The irony is that Scotland should have been as comfortable as Norway if it hadn't been for the Labour Party.

When Scottish oil was discovered, the Labour Government hid the true extent of Scotland's oil.

It also concealed the Government's own report, showing that an independent Scotland would be more prosperous than England.

In a real democracy, the revelation that the Government deliberately fed voters false propaganda, because it feared that Scotland would choose oil ahead of the dubious political and economic benefits of the Union, would create uproar.

But not in brainwashed Scotland. It's for our own good!

Feeble-minded Scots are too stupid to manage their own economy — look at Ireland. Better to be miserable in the Union than prosperous outside it!

Forget Norway. Duplicity and deception were tools of Government long before Tony Blair's weapons of mass destruction.

One wonders if Jimmy has read the McCrone Report. — Yours etc.,

R MACINDOE,

Jerviswood Drive,

Cleghorn.