Georged to death

“I cannot get used to the growing trend to address even complete strangers by their first names,” writes a Craigie regular.

“An elderly lady in a home used to object to staff calling her Bessie. She wanted to be addressed as Mrs along with her surname. She had been my Sunday School teacher in St David’s North Church, Dundee, in the 1930s and 40s and I would never have dreamed of addressing her by her first name.

“On recent stays in hospital, the nurses called me George as a matter of course.

“Because credit cards and computers come up with my full name, shop and business staff tend to use my Christian name when speaking to me and it is almost obligatory, apparently, for callcentre staff to follow suit.

“The final straw came when I acquired a new computer. Every time I turn it on now, it comes up with the message: ‘Welcome, George!’

“I’m being Georged to death and I’m an 85-year-old retired teacher the pupils used to address as ‘Sir’ – to my face, that is. The names they gave me behind my back are largely unprintable!”

Keep your pets trim

Pet obesity is an ongoing problem and is one of the top concerns for animal welfare identified by vets. It’s a common issue affecting millions of UK pets, and increases the risk of developing serious health conditions.

PDSA vet, Rebecca Ashman, says: “It’s important that pets are fed a healthy, balanced diet and do regular exercise to reduce the risk of weightrelated health conditions. Unfortunately, many pet owners are unsure whether their pet is a healthy size as overweight pets are now often seen as a ‘normal’ pet shape.”

To help, Rebecca has provided a guide to checking your pet’s body shape:

For cats and dogs, look at your pet from above while they are standing. You should see a defined waist (unless your pet has long hair).

Run your hands down their sides from front to back – you should be able to feel their ribs beneath your fingers, but they shouldn’t be prominent or easily visible.

Next, run your hand along your pets’ back and over their hip bones. Again, you should be able to feel their spine under their skin, but without the bones feeling prominent. You should then feel under your pet’s tummy, it should tuck in and not bulge out.

For rabbits, you should be able to feel, but not see, the ribs and hips. There should be no bulges around the abdomen or rump area.

To watch a guide to checking whether your dog is a healthy weight, visit pdsa. org.uk/healthypets.

Half-sunken vessel

“Regarding the recent items in the Craigie column regarding the Dundee docks, past and present,” says a Craigie regular, “could some source throw light on the half-sunken vessel, tied up alongside the tug Sea Griffin in Camperdown Dock and, perhaps, put it out of its misery?

“The Sea Griffin, herself, has not turned a propellor, workwise, for many years although she is still listed as belonging to Coastal Marine but is ‘not in use’. As a 54-year-old, is she not entitled to join the other two ‘worthies’, Unicorn and North Carr, in Victoria Dock?”

Gathering place

“The photograph in The Courier ‘Photo Shop’ supplement, of a very crowded Samuel’s Corner brought back memories of our days as apprentices in the 1940s and 50s,” says a reader.

“The location was a popular gathering place for us, particularly on Saturday mornings and afternoons. The local beat ‘boabbie’ used to continually move us to the edge of the pavement with the classic comment: ‘Come on now, lads. If everybody in the toon stood here, how would a’ the rest get past?’”

In retreat

“While eating out the other day,” emails Elizabeth Cohen, “I was reminded of a verse by Ogden Nash: ‘Sure deck your lower limbs in pants, Yours are the limbs my sweeting. You look divine as you advance. Have you seen yourself retreating?’”

A scene at Broughty Ferry beach. The pleasure boats are ready to sail with their passengers. Other folk are content to paddle or sit on the sands.

“It was a lovely day for a cycle run,” says Eric Niven of Dundee, “and the light was looking ethereal in Tentsmuir for a moment or two.”