I FIND it odd that the Flying Scotsman final run will be between two English Cities.

I am now 89 and my father was proud to be a railway clerk with the London and North Eastern Railway for most of his working life.

As I grew up near to the Fishwives Causeway, Portobello, Edinburgh a frequent jaunt in the summer school holidays was to the Causeway which - over the a wall, the express rail link Edinburgh to London. The wall between the Causeway and this express line was climbable so school children would sit astride it to watch the express Edinburgh to London railway trains. In particular, 10am every week day the ‘Flying Scotsman’. Who therefore decided its final run should be London to York. Surely it must be from Edinburgh Waverley to York (through Doncaster!).

The Flying Scotsman must say farewell to Scotland.

James Fraser Curle

A LOT has been said and written recently about shopping locally and supporting our local businesses. I am in favour of that. I walked along a number of streets in Shawlands before I finally arrived at Kilmarnock Road to go to some of the shops. I had to walk past and through filthy, rubbish strewn pavements and had to occasionally also zig-zag past dog mess. Some of the lanes that I walked by were also full of disgusting rubbish that mindless, lazy folk just dump there. Once in Kilmarnock Road, I found the same dirty and litter strewn pavements and roads.

Why would I want to walk through a pile of rubbish in order to get to them when I can just as easily hop on a bus into town and shop in one of the covered shopping centres without risking stepping into dog mess and having to walk past filthy rubbish? The residents, I am sure, will do their bit of trying to support their local small businesses but the powers that be, also have to ensure that the area we are shopping in, is appealing and clean and safe.

CB

Shawlands

THERE are a few points I wanted to raise about the letters this week about cyclists. Like most cyclists I am also a motorist so I pay road tax. My bike doesn't damage the road, cause congestion or pollution. I stop at red lights and I firmly believe cyclists who don't should be prosecuted. I also believe motorists should stop at red lights as well. When I'm taking my daughter to school, it is all too often the case that at least three cars go through the lights at red on Great Western Road at the junction with Napiershall Street . I've had abuse hurled at me for pointing out the danger to children crossing and I've nearly been knocked over myself.

Cyclists shouldn't ride on the pavement. But many are afraid to ride on the road. I cycle to work as often as I can and over the last four years, one cyclist has been killed on my route and I've seen three others being loaded into ambulances after being knocked down by cars. I've also experienced numerous near misses. In one case I came within inches of being knocked down by a car which over took me and then turned left across my path. A pedestrian who witnessed the incident said, "I can't believe he missed you."

All road users should know the Highway Code and should behave responsibly but when drivers get it wrong, like pulling out without looking or throwing open a door without a backwards glance, then the results can be very serious and sometimes fatal for a cyclist.

Dave McLavin

Glasgow

AM I the only one that has difficulty with the story in Thursday night's Evening Times that a woman from Uplawmoor East Renfrewshire is outraged that she will no longer be able to park and get electricity for her car free of charge on her regular visits to Glasgow.

A car is a car in a parking place, if it's free for some it should be the same for all especially Glasgow Residents.

G Murdoch

Glasgow