Council crackers

What a mixed message from Edinburgh City Council, meanly removing cut Christmas trees this year, yet considering a “toy train” on the Royal Mile! Copenhagen manages a splendid pedestrianised area in the city centre, with clean, well maintained pavements, good lighting and an excellent variety of shops – just the things that will give pleasure to residents and tourists alike.

Perhaps the city might consider buying charity Christmas trees rather than denying the pleasure of this recent, yet established tradition.

Then, it could sort out the pavements and make sure that the mix of shops, restaurants and established attractions on The Royal Mile are of the very best quality, not just playing around with short-term toys for tourists.

DAVID GERRARD Spylaw Park, Edinburgh

I admire Peter Farquhar’s approach to plans to improve the “tourist experience’ in Edinburgh, and wish I could feel the same (Letters, 14 November). Having taken a relative by car to Waverley Station this morning, I found myself snarled up for some time on the bridge with a number of city buses, tourist buses and vans, due to a large delivery vehicle sitting at one of the Gardens entrances, with its rear end protruding into the road, offloading components for some form of Christmas structure.

While stuck there,iobserv ed that Edinburgh city centre has become more and more like a theme park every year, with the focus on catering for everincreasing numbers of tourists and making a quick buck. I appreciate the need to move with the times and provide good facilities for visitors, but I think it has gone too far. Now, at every opportunity, our calm green spaces are cluttered with yet more food and drink outlets, and streets blocked off to accommodate massive funfair attractions with garish flashing lights. Edinburgh used to be an elegant city; our council appears hell-bent in turning it into a small-scale version of Blackpool.

KATHRYN SHARP Blinkbonny Road, Edinburgh