| Letters - 24 November 2006 |
| Tree debate rages on |
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A Tele photographer grabbed one of the last chances to get a clear shot of Dundee’s controversial Christmas tree. This weekend sees the arrival of the mini-carnival at the front of the city square.
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| I AM disappointed at the complaints some of your readers have made about the festive arrangements in Dundee City Square.
I went to the Christmas lights switch on with my family and thought it was a super event. The tree looks great when lit.
The other new decorations in the square — and the lighting of the Caird Hall — makes for a really fresh festive feel.
Having an artificial tree is better than cutting down yet another tree, thus saving our natural resources.
So, well done for a really lovely Christmas square. — Looking Forward. |
| Plastic monstrosity |
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| MY WIFE and I decided to go into town to view the Christmas tree, erected by Dundee City Council.
This plastic monstrosity wouldn’t have been out of place in a Chamber of Horrors.
Are there no real trees available?
With car parking at £1.50 for one hour, a bag of chips at £1 and tea at 80p per cup it proved a very expensive visit.
Years ago, when we had a real tree, car parking was free, chips were 35p and a cup of tea wouldn’t bankrupt you.
If this is progress, give me the good old days. — John Dench, Perth Road, Dundee.
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| How pathetic |
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| I AM from the USA and my friend sent me the editorial letters and the photo about the Dundee Christmas tree. How pathetic.
Who ever had the idea ought to be voted out of office. — Saddened, Ellicott City, Maryland. |
| Ridiculous |
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| HOW CAN Dundee City Council justify hiring the most ridiculous artificial Christmas tree for our City Square? Surely they have better ways to spend our money.
It must be time to sack the person responsible for this monstrosity. — S. C. |
| Step too far |
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| NHS TAYSIDE’S decision to ban smoking in their grounds is surely a step too far.
There is meant to be a partnership agreement between management and staff. The staff was not consulted on this issue.
To ask staff to work in some cases for 12 hours without a cigarette break is ludicrous.
Nursing staff who have to deal with abusive drunks, drug addicts and terminally ill patients are being denied the de-stressing effect of a cigarette.
If management put the same vigour into dealing with staff morale, NHS Tayside might be a better place in which to work.
It should be noted that even the holier-than-thou Government has not yet made smoking illegal.
In fact MPs can smoke inside Parliament. —Ninewells Smoker. |
| Hidden away |
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| THE TOTAL smoking ban has come into force at Ninewells Hospital and nobody seems to have taken a stance against this.
Who has taken the decision? Are the executives also going to bin their ashtrays?
It is common knowledge that smoking is continuing in certain offices and that some medical personnel have said they will take their skills elsewhere.
I wouldn’t like to be the person at Accident and Emergency department on a normal weekend, trying to stop patients going outside for a smoke while waiting to be seen.
Smokers were harming nobody but themselves when hidden away in shelters. — Katie. |
| Secondary smoke |
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| R. L. S. WRITES in his or her letter that “smoking causes little harm to the non-smoker”.
I think that the widow of the late Roy Castle will strongly disagree. He died because of secondary smoke. — B. D. |
| Cold turkey |
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| I READ Phil Tertip’s tale about being detained in Perth Prison without being supplied any cigarettes to feed his 40 a day habit.
I think he should be thanking the prison service. A recent study said that each cigarette cuts life expectancy by 11 minutes.
I calculate a month’s stay would extend his life by over nine days.
Being a smoker myself I would like the opportunity Phil had to try a period of enforced cold turkey. It may help me to give up this awful expensive weed. — Lorne Green, Monifieth. |
| Right to residency |
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| IT IS the SNP’s policy that, if someone resident of Scotland when we become independent chooses not to take up Scottish citizenship, then he or she will continue to enjoy an unaffected right to residency.
So the reply to Matt Spence’s question is that nothing will change for him. — Stewart Hunter, Dundee West SNP. |
| Carer’s crisis |
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| CARERS ARE in crisis more than ever. As a carer for my mum I have found it difficult to make ends meet.
Now I am ill I lose £20 per week from my allowance and receive the £25.65 Carer Premium. I have to pay TV licence and all my other utility bills.
Prisoners seem to have more rights with a judge giving them money for the authorities not supplying them methadone.
This is a travesty of justice. — Kenneth Hill, Brownhill Road, Dundee. |
| THE ADDRESS for readers’ letters is - Readers’ Page, Evening Telegraph, 80 Kingsway East, Dundee DD4 8SL. They can also be placed in our post box at our offices in Albert Square, Dundee, emailed to us on letters@eveningtelegraph.co.uk or faxed on 01382 454590. We ask correspondents using a nom-de-plume or sending by e-mail to provide a name and address for reference purposes. The editor reserves the right to reject or edit any letter. Please keep letters as short as possible.* |
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