WITH the Commonwealth Games just weeks away, the bike hiring scheme is a great idea (Evening Times June 24).

The design of the bikes take me back to the E.T. movie, and its image of cycling across the face of the moon.

Practicality's one thing, but they might lack that manly touch - unless the baskets are for the wife's flowers.

Jill Ferguson, Partick

Taxing holiday

WHY are my family, who are travelling to Europe on holiday, having to fly out from English airports?

One family travelling to Greece are flying from Manchester, another from Birmingham to Spain, another from Gatwick to Turkey and the fourth from Manchester to Spain.

I believe this is due to airport duty tax, despite us being told we are all equal in Great Britain.

We are not, when we in Scotland have to pay hundreds of pounds more to go on a break because of these vast sums demanded by this government.

Terry Lavelle Via email

Name game

REGARDING Gaelic signs, thank you, David Sutherland (Letters, June 26). Your suggestion to call Glasgow Dear Green Place makes sense.

I am aware that Gaelic was spoken throughout Scotland at one time but old Scots was spoken before, during and after the Gaels arrived here as the land-owning aristocracy.

It would be better to explain to visitors the English translation of place names and much more interesting rather than baffling them with Gaelic.

Rosemary Keery Glasgow