SO, the council gives the go-ahead for a 24-hour gym in the Shawlands Arcade and the mall boss comments that 'Silverburn will always outclass us'.

This doesn't have to be the case.

Shawlands could be a hive of independent traders, just as it used to be - but nobody will invest their time and money in the Arcade, which is a blot on the landscape.

Shawlands is one of the most vibrant and diverse communities in Glasgow. Yet for some reason it's being left to rot and investment being frittered away on new pavements and 'civic squares'.

Make Shawlands a viable retail destination again.

Elizabeth Jeffrey Posted online READ MICHELLE McMANUS/PAGE 44

Real star turn

Good news that actor Martin Compston is getting behind the Evening Times' food bank campaign.

It is admirable that a young actor, who could be forgiven fort thinking about his own career, is taking time out to support a local issue.

Helping to feed the city's hungry is not just one person or one organisation's responsibility, it should be a collective. If we work together, we can do something about this.

C Gentles Govan

Devo max facts

Westminster granting 'devo-max' would help heal the indy ref divisions, but it's not likely to happen.

If only they'd allowed that option on the ballot paper, all this could have been avoided.

Ron Campbell Posted online

Art is for all

IF people want to avoid visiting the city's museums and galleries, then that's up to them. They are the losers.

I'm no art aficionado but in the 1950s my then unemployed dad used to take me to Kelvingrove every weekend.

Growing up in a council house in Knightswood, the gallery felt like a palace, and the staff were never snooty with us.

Thanks to my dad, I've enjoyed a lifelong love affair with history and art.

As they say, you can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink.

Walter Dunne Posted online