I WAS most interested to read your article about that grand old man of the Russian convoys, John Burns (The final convoy for Royal Mile "institution" John Burns, Evening News, March 27).
But it always surprised me that when the subject of these brave men cropped up there was no mention of John Conroy from Glover Street, Leith, who won the British Empire medal aged just 15 years old on one of these convoys.
Although I live in We
st Lothian now, I was born at 100 Duke Street at the "Fit o' The Walk" and was seven years old when the war started in 1939 and well remember reading about his bravery – how he released one of the wooden life rafts and picked up some survivors from his sinking ship. In fact there were a few Merchant Navy men from Leith on the convoys during the war.
DHS Ronald, Glass Place, Winchburgh, West LothianA clear case for paying extra fareWHY do train commuters still insist on sitting on the passageway seat and placing their shopping/briefcase on the window seat, thus forcing many passengers to stand from Haymarket to Falkirk or Kirkcaldy?
It shouldn't take an announcement from the train guard to ask people to remove their shopping. Maybe two fares should be charged! Or maybe even an Asbo!
Colin C Maclean, Hillpark Avenue, Edinburgh Service will soon be back on trackWE are sorry that Anwaab Raja has found it impossible to book a rail ticket to France on
www.eurostar.com (Letters, Evening News, March 27). There has indeed been a technical glitch, affecting departures specifically and only from Edinburgh.
We are close to resolving the problem and hope to have online bookings from Edinburgh fully functional very shortly – in the meantime, return fares from £89 to Paris can be booked by phone via Eurostar's contact centre. Since Eurostar moved to St Pancras International from Waterloo last November, we have seen a significant increase in travellers from Scotland.
With a centre to centre journey time from Edinburgh to Paris of seven and a half hours including connection and check-in times, and up to ten connecting services a day, it seems more and more passengers are finding rail to be a convenient, attractively-priced (and environmentally less damaging) alternative to flying.
Simon Montague, director of communications, Eurostar, Times House, Bravingtons Walk, Regent Quarter, LondonWhere has all the innovation gone? WHEN devolution came to Scotland with it came the Scottish Parliament, governed by the Scottish Executive, its true legislative title under the Scotland Act.
This Parliament has become the embodiment of a new democracy which has strengthened the Union. There has been a call to give the Scottish Parliament more "powers" of autonomy. There has been opposition to this proposal, but it could be agreed if the purpose is to strengthen the Union and only if that is the case, otherwise it would only suit the purposes of the Scottish Nationalists, whose main interest is to segregate Scotland from the rest of the UK.
Devolution had progressed under the previous Labour ad-ministration although it was a "rocky" start at first, but progress was being made nevertheless.
At present that progress appears to have ground to a halt.
Where has all the innovation gone to improve the delivery of developing good ideas and research gone too?
What has happened to the investment to improve skills and encourage self reliance?
There was without a doubt many positive changes from the previous Labour administration but none so far from the present one.
Chas Dennis, Niddrie Marischal Road, EdinburghWhy not do what Danes have done?MPS on the Home Affairs Select Committee are angry that 40,000 migrants each year are given marriage visas to live in Britain without officials checking their stories.
They say that this is the opportunity to detect bogus marriages and forced marriages. The Committee demanded that people sponsoring a spouse from India, Pakistan or Bangladesh needed to be quizzed.
Denmark has tackled this problem and considerably reduced the numbers coming into Denmark.
Today Denmark has the strictest immigration policies in Europe.
The rules were made crystal-clear to all potential immigrants.
If you wish to bring a spouse into Denmark, you must both be over 24 years of age and if you divorce during the seven-year period then the foreign spouse would be deported.
Other rules:
• You must attend three years of Danish language classes and pass the test
• You must pass a test on Denmark's history and culture. You must live in Denmark for seven years before applying for citizenship.
• You must demonstrate intent to work, and have a job waiting.
Be advised that it will no longer be easy to permit your friends and family to join you in Denmark.
Why do we not follow suit before there is the clash of civilisations and the ensuing chaos?
Clark Cross, Springfield Road, Linlithgow No hole in fence, no tragic outcomeI REFER to John Cowen's letter about the sad shooting of the huskies...
Does Mr Cowen not think that perhaps the blame for this tragic state of affairs lies with the dogs' owner? Surely it is up to all own-ers to ensure their dogs have a safe and secure place in which to play?
Had there not been a hole in the fence, the dogs would have been unable to escape in the first place.
Mrs SF Wilson, Maxwell Street, EdinburghPost offices vital for pensionersWHEN I saw the letter "Why it's time to play the last post for these offices" (News, March 27), I couldn't believe what I was reading. How can a person such as James Fraser be so unfeeling and tactless towards OAPs?
Does he not realise he will be one himself one day? It is not everyone who has access to a computer for e-mailing apart from the fact it could be quite difficult for some people to learn how to do this.
As for buying a book of stamps instead of one, does he not know every penny counts for a pensioner and they may not be able to afford a book? He says he feels sick when he sees OAPs queuing for their pensions. I bet he doesn't feel as sick as I did when I read his cruel and unfeeling letter.
Mrs M Arcari (OAP), Speedwell Avenue, Danderhall