Good manners do still matter!

IN response to the letter about thank-you cards, I believe sending them is still the proper thing to do.

My husband and I have recently celebrated our 80th birthdays and we sent nearly 20 thank-you cards to our family and friends. After all, it was so special.

We were taught manners growing up and this was one of them.

Mr and Mrs McIvor, Motherwell.

Got to stop

I HOPE I may be allowed my own “word on the words”.

I’ve been interested in language all my life and perhaps notice irregularities more than others.

I feel the word “got” is overused and in many cases completely superfluous.

For instance, you might ask a wee lad with something in his hand, “what have you got there?” when “what have you there?” has the same meaning.

W. Blacklaw, Dundee.

Foggy memory

MY son was walking along the prom with his “Peter Pan” grandad.

A man came towards them and said: “How are you, Nobby? You’re looking great!”

Grandfather smiled, shook the gentleman’s hand, told him he was fine and returned the compliment.

“Who was that?” my son inquired to grandad later.

“I haven’t got the foggiest,” was the answer, “but he must be worth a fortune! Did you see the gold in his teeth?”

Carol Cheyne, Nairn.

Shirt shock

SPOTTING an expensive shirt reduced to £50 in a shop sale, I decided to treat myself.

Being boxed, the salesman asked whether I’d like a bag. Nodding in agreement, I was

gobsmacked when, after spending all that money, I was then charged 5p for the bag. Gordon Stupart, Glasgow.

Speed fears

I WONDER if anyone else is becoming increasingly concerned about the speed with which many drivers are travelling at within car parks?

This seems worst of all in the large supermarket and shopping centre car parks, but I’m also seeing excessive speed in health centre and council-run car parks.

If every driver were to think a child running out could be their child or grandchild and a slower moving person

could be their relative or friend, I’m sure the foot would come off the accelerator... before there is a tragedy.

Judi Martin, Maryculter.

Staffing issues

THE Sunday Post tells us that police officers in Scotland took 141,000 days off sick in three years due to mental health issues.

It seems to me that Police Scotland needs to look at the way it appoints recruits and their level of education and ability to do the job. I believe it also needs to look at its style of management. James Macintyre, Linlithgow.

Smoke them out

HAVE any other readers noticed people smoking beside the “No smoking sign” at their local hospital? Can people not read?

I really think something should be done about this. Perhaps an on-the-spot fine?

S. E. Richards, Melrose.

And finally...

A WOMAN notices her husband standing on the bathroom scales and sucking in his stomach. “That’s won’t help!” she says.

“Sure, it will,” he replies. “It’s the only way I can see the numbers!” Harry MacLean, Edinburgh.