Letters: It’s time councillors took a step out into real world

While trying with hundreds of others to cross from one side of St Andrew Street to the other through a narrow unlit and uneven chicane, some were using the light of their mobile phones to navigate. Others tried to reasure their young not to worry, they would soon be home. From there I proceeded to trip along Princes Street trying to avoid loose, uneven slabs.

This once beautiful city has been reduced to a tip for the sake of a tram system that ordinary people did not wish for and that will struggle to break even in most of our lifetimes.

I would like to thank our glorious council leaders of recent years. Perhaps they could drag themselves out from their cosy offices and take a walk to view their destruction of what use to be Edinburgh city centre

Laurence Miele, Abercorn Avenue, Edinburgh

A dignified death can be the answer

Ian Swanson’s article about the Liverpool Care Pathway was most interesting and the concept of a peaceful, painfree and dignified death is to be applauded and encouraged (News, October 31).

This type of method has been used for terminally ill cancer patients by hospice staff for very many years.

My husband and I are in our mid-seventies and have frequently discussed the possible introduction of a quality of life scale designed to measure a person’s physical, psychological and cognitive status.

The stages of the scale could be agreed by a geriatrician, a psychiatrist and a general practitioner to demonstrate a person’s independence in self-care, managing day-to-day living chores, enjoyment of life and social interaction with others.

The top of the scale would be a person living an independent full life, moving through five stages to immobility, dependence in self care, inability/unwillingness to communicate and with no social interaction at the end of the scale.

At this stage I would suggest quality of life is zero and a peaceful, pain-free, and dignified death would be preferable.

Consultation with the family would be an essential part of the process.

Marjorie Mackenzie, Grange Loan, Edinburgh

Cameron has not stuck to his word

BEFORE David Cameron became PM, he gave us a “cast iron” promise that he would waste no time on giving us a referendum on the EU as soon as he became PM.

He has turned his back on that and I will never forgive him for it.

Alan Lough, Boroughdales, Dunbar

Cockburn would spin in his grave

SHOPS are not the main attraction of Stockbridge and more of them would diminish its charm.

The Accies’ proposed retail frontage would not “open up the whole area|” as Ian Lutton claims (Letters, November 2).

It would shut Comely Bank Road off from the attractive, open green land to the north.

You wouldn’t even be able to see the trees on the hill in Inverleith Park from the top deck of a passing bus.

What the Accies want to do is the Stockbridge equivalent of building on the south side of Princes Street.

Lord Cockburn dismissed such notions as “absolutely insane” in his celebrated 1849 letter to the Lord Provost “on the best ways of spoiling the beauty of Edinburgh”.

If the Accies get planning consent, Lord Cockburn will be spinning in his grave.

Thomas Manderson, Brougham Place, Edinburgh

Buses great, pity about passengers

AS a recent convert to Edinburgh’s bus service, I can confirm recent descriptions of its excellence.

Unfortunately many of the passengers are rather less splendid. When the buses are full, the standing passengers congregate at the front, blocking entry to others rather than moving down the bus.

Even worse are those who sit in the outer seat with bags on the inner seat and glare balefully at the standing passengers who would have appreciated the empty inner seat.

Perhaps they have purchased two tickets, but I rather doubt it. Were they born with absolutely no sense of consideration for others?

M Bates, Upper Bow, Edinburgh