IT WAS a damp, June morning, just a few miles outside Brussels.

The Regiments of The Scots Greys and The Gordon Highlanders had been badly weakened in earlier fighting.

Led by Glasgow's own, Colonel James Hamilton, they readied themselves for action. The battle started around lunchtime, although the Scottish Regiments had initially been held in reserve.

As he watched, Hamilton's accompanying regiments began to lose ground and fall back to overwhelming French superiority.

Acting upon his own initiative, Colonel Hamilton calmly walked his cavalry and horses through his own lines, charging the startled French, driving them into retreat and capturing their Standard.

It was an act immortalised in legend and hailed by the Duke of Wellington.

Sadly, Hamilton and hundreds of brave, Scottish troops didn't survive the final parts of the battle, but their heroism and bravery proved iconic.

The date was 1815, the place ... Waterloo.

Almost 30 years later, in 1844, and with great civic pride, the heroism and selflessness of these brave Scots, who died in the Napoleonic Wars, was recognised, by the placing of a statue in Royal Exchange Square.

Sadly, this week's debacle, of whether to remove the cone or cones from the Statue, descended into chaos. I am not sure how anyone could attempt to transform a ritualistic, drunken prank into some form of modern, Glaswegian icon. It is insulting and stupid and the city council should act to stop it happening.

I am not sure what the national collective view of democracy is, but trending on Twitter and Facebook, isn't it.

This monument was erected by Glaswegians, in memory of other Glaswegians, who gave their lives. It's a public monument, in a public place.

The city is run by politicians elected by the public.

The politicians should now act in the public interest and put an end to this stupidity.

A cone on the head of a city statue does little to define the real Glasgow, or indeed Glaswegians.

If it does, why don't we put a cone on top of all of our memorials and statues?

I'm sure last week's Remembrance Sunday events would have been all the more colourful with red traffic cones, to match the red poppies.

The cone is less iconic ... more idiotic. It was funny, in 1980, for about five minutes.

As we approach the bi-centennial anniversary of the loss of so many brave, Scottish soldiers at the Battle of Waterloo, it's time to hear the voice of the overwhelming majority of true Glaswegians.

Put a cone on it? No, put a stop to it.

I STARTED making monthly donations to the British Red Cross some time ago.

As we watched the events unfold after the devastation of Typhoon Haiyan, I was amazed at how quickly the British Red Cross, Oxfam and the other major charities, responded.

Some 11million people have been affected and three quarters of a million people displaced.

They urgently need food, water, shelter and medical support.

We Scots rank among the most generous nations on Earth - and it's time that all of us take the opportunity to help.

Please, dig deep for the Philippines.

GREAT news this week that German hotel chain Motel One plans to build a 370-bedroom hotel in the city centre.

Its site, opposite the Radisson Blu Hotel, brings much-needed investment and jobs to that part of our city, and it will cost some £18 million to build.

Well done to all at the City Chambers who enabled the investment to become a reality.

The structure will provide a significant, economic indicator that Glasgow has weathered a tough period of recession and may now be ready to follow a road to recovery.

Although, given the nature of the owners legendary sense of humour, perhaps we should resist any attempt to put a cone on it.