SIR, – Twice recently, you have published letters relating to my old regiment, the Gordon Highlanders. One (June 16) concerned a lack of visitors to the memorial at Kilmallie. Some of us do visit the memorial from time to time. However, the best way to learn about the great and gallant Gordon mentioned in the letter is to go to the Gordon Highlanders Museum, where artefacts relating to him are displayed and he is permanently remembered and spoken about.
The second letter (July 1) asked why Huntly did not celebrate Armed Forces Day. It also seemed to imply that the Gordon veterans should have been there. Currently, Armed Forces Day is celebrated in main centres of population, possibly because of the impact and cost. On June 27, many current servicemen and veterans from all three services paraded in Aberdeen. It was an excellent sight and was warmly supported.
Many Gordons marched among the veterans.
The Gordon Highlanders have had a number of regimental reunions already this year, the last two being in London, on June 20, and near Gardenstown, on June 26-28.
As has been mentioned in previous correspondence, there is to be a major regimental reunion at Huntly on July 30, commencing with a march of old Gordons at 1pm from the square to the castle.
It seems to me that Huntly remains extremely proud of its Gordon and military traditions.
The Gordons are “nae deid yet”.
Lt Gen Sir Peter Graham,
St Luke’s,
Viewfield Road,
Aberdeen.
SIR, – Everyone seems to have forgotten the period leading up to the Iraq war, when Saddam Hussein wanted everyone to believe he had weapons of mass destruction, whether he had or not.
Of course none were found in the inspections and they may never have existed or been hidden in a nearby friendly country.
It should be remembered that when George W. Bush wanted to invade Iraq, Tony Blair spent months working extremely hard trying to prevent him, and seeing many world leaders, before eventually asking parliament (not the Labour government) for a decision to support America.
At that time, he pointed out that a million or more civilians could die, as well as service personnel, but compared that with the atrocities carried out by Saddam’s regime.
Let us hope that Iraq can now rebuild itself into a modern democracy.
Mrs V. Forsyth,
Rhives Lodge,
Golspie.
SIR, – Isn't it marvellous how, after careers of supposedly propagating socialism and fighting inequalities in all forms, the same Labour politicians are only too eager to join the world of aristocratic titles and privilege when it is offered?
Every spokesman for the Labour government these days seems to be a lord or a baroness and each influential supporter is, or will be, so ennobled, for example those working-class heroes Alan Sugar and Glenys Kinnock (who has already had a career on the European gravy train).
Even that staunch lifetime left-winger Michael Martin, the former speaker, cannot wait to embrace the titles, privileges and, no doubt, the expenses of the House of Lords.
Nice work if you can get it and if you can dump your principles.
Robert Bain,
531a North Deeside Road,
Cults,
Aberdeen.
SIR, – In Pitfodels, the massive multimillion-pound International School is now taking shape, while millions more have been shelled out at the top of the market in Milltimber to householders lying along the path of the proposed Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR). The mind boggles over the £11million wasted on the Camphill proposed route and now the present line smack through some of the costliest built-up areas in the whole country.
Now, after weeks of the so-called public inquiry, we await the report that seemingly cannot alter the route, so the whole procedure appears a further costly farce.
A politician's folly of choosing a route which is neither close enough to many commuters’ workplaces and yet not a true bypass skirting the built-up areas is obviously par for the course for our present generation of decision-makers.
Yet the public becomes almost hysterical over MPs’ expenses, which is almost chicken feed compared to the waste already over this one north-east project, with scarcely a murmur heard from local taxpayers.
A politician's duck house or a castle moat the public can comprehend, but frittered millions on the AWPR or the bankers losing billions is sadly way over our heads.
Dr F.L.P. Fouin,
147 North Deeside Road,
Milltimber,
Aberdeen.
SIR, – It was disrespectful of so many members of the Scottish Parliament, nearly 50 of them, to be absent when the Queen visited Holyrood to mark the 10th anniversary of its establishment.
I do hope that the names of all the absentees will be put on the parliament's website so that their rudeness will be noted. After all, the Queen's visit was well recorded months ago, and it was a momentous anniversary for the Scottish people.
Terry Duncan,
27 Greame Road,
Bridlington.