I would love to have a staycation, but how can I if I have to use public transport?
I’D be delighted to take Fergus Ewing up on his suggestion and have a holiday in Scotland (“If you are taking a break, then help Scotland with a staycation”, The Herald, February 17). However, I am having logistical difficulties planning my usual trip to Arran because I use public transport.
To travel from St Andrews to Blackwaterfoot involves a bus or taxi, three trains, a ferry and another bus. Will I be able to get on the trains?
Will I have to book seats on all of them plus the ferry? Will the full timetables be operating? Will the connections work? What happens if I am delayed and miss my intended boat; will I be able to get the next one?
All being well, the journey takes at least six hours, door to door. Will there be refreshments on the trains or on board the ferry? If not, will there be time to queue for food at Haymarket or Glasgow Central without missing a train, or do I have to pack sandwiches?
His piano forte
CONGRATULATIONS and full marks to 98-year-old Mrs Rebecca Parker for her fantastic efforts at playing the piano for charity (“Woman, 98, plays piano for 100 days to raise £6k”, The Herald, July 17). Her performance brought back memories for me of attending Paisley Theatre in the 1950s to see and hear “Syncopating Sandy” (Sandy Strickleton), who made a career, with more than 500 performances, of marathon piano playing all over Scotland, England, Ireland and the Continent. Regularly he played for well over 100 hours non-stop. He was never recognised by the Guinness Book of Records, but he filled theatres,
Until I can be certain of undertaking the journey, I cannot book accommodation. I note, though, that rooms are being eagerly snapped up, presumably by those with less complicated travel arrangements. It’s a pity, because those of us who travel by public transport being limited in with the audiences coming and going as they pleased. He died in 1975.
Paisley Theatre is, alas, no more, having closed its doors for the final time in 1959. A popular and regular star performer there was Johnny Beattie, also recently, alas, no more.
Well done, Mrs Parker and thanks for bringing back the memories.
Ian W Thomson,
Lenzie.
Halle man’s hell
I EXPECT the tonalities of Andre Previn’s hypothetical piece (Letters, July 17 & 18) were chosen precisely for their puzzlement value. what we can carry – though in my case that comprises a folding bike, pannier, rucksack and golf-bag – tend to spend more money at our destination; as we do not have a car, campervan or motorhome to load up in advance with comestibles at mainland prices. That means, though, that we need
In fact, with the obsolescence of the A clarinet there is now no shirking sharp practice.
Similarly, Bb trumpets are no longer provided with the transposing valve-loop to A, necessitating “fork fingering” in sharp keys, unless one is devious enough to pull the tuning slide out as far as possible and slip an old short cornet shank on the mouthpipe, this permitting flatkey fingering.
Fork-fingering being impracticable for really busy stuff, players generally use a D trumpet for the works of those whom an elderly friend, formerly of the Halle, always referred to as “them old 18th century bastards”.
Robin Dow,
Rothesay. to be sure that the various eateries will be open.
I’m holding on until I get some definite information about travel, which I believe will be forthcoming early in August, but until there is certainty, I fear I’ll be “staycationing” in the house. Jane Ann Liston, St Andrews.
I HAD a wry smile on my face when I read Fergus Ewing’s article. He wants to encourage tourists to come and stay in Scotland, but he studiously ignores the First Minister’s refusal to rule out forcing English tourists into quarantine. We hear about cancellations from potential visitors from England all the time
Mr Ewing was asked about this by Gordon Brewer on the BBC Politics Scotland show on July 12 but he said that was not in his remit. I suppose he is frightened of the First Minister’s ire or even being demoted if he dares to say anything about it.
Anne Kegg, Uddingston.
THE correspondence around clarinets reminds me of the answer I got when I asked a then third year pupil to “define a transposing instrument please”. “It plays the wrang note” was the reply.
Ethel M Fitzgerald, Longforgan.
I NOTE R Russell Smith’s letter (July 18) when he refers to the mnemonic Every Good Boy Deserves Favour.as an aid in the study of music
As a very amateur musician I had always thought that the “F” word was in fact Fun . ... even if my music lessons as a child were not always so.
Ron Lavalette,
Ardrossan.