An anthem for the oppressed children who are engaged in dessert warfare
I NOTE your article regarding Aberdeenshire Council’s removal of favourite school desserts (“Dessert storm: Custard and ice cream ban leaves pupils in a jam”, The Herald, April 15). As a music teacher more than a decade ago, I foresaw the consternation that such measures, without due consideration to the farming community whom it is well known require additional calories, would cause. The classic Coulter’s Candy was rewritten. To Masters Beverly and Dibb of Rhynie Primary School, Aberdeenshire, I feel your pain. Feel free to borrow. Let this be your anthem.
Ally bally, ally bally bee,
The SNPS hae it in fir me,
It’s 5 a day a’tween 9 and 3, There’s nae mair sugar candy.
Big Mrs Gallagher‘s lookin’ awfy grim,
She jist caught me chuckin’ ma dinner in the bin,
All ah can say it’s a terrible sin, That the chip shop’s no that handy.
Ma mate Johnnie’s greetin’ tae, They jist took aw’ his Irn Bru away
They’re makin’ him drink watter aw’ day,
Smilin’, “Nae mair cans, dear.”
Melons, apples, tangerines and pears,
Enough to make yir stomach sair,
An’ the toilets are aw’ at the bottom o’ the stairs,
An’ I’ll tell ye that’s no handy.
Ah’m aw’ in favour o’ a healthy diet,
If ah don’t get sugar though, there’s gonna be a riot,
They’re daein’ it oan purpose tae keep me quiet,
Ah’m gonna tell ma granny.
From the collection Just Plain Daft.
Maureen Mcgarry-o’hanlon, Balloch.
COP26 must be cancelled
IT would appear that at last the UK may be controlling the Covid virus, but there are far too many countries where it is still rampant. Japan has a fourth wave, Africa is producing variants, and the death rate in Brazil is escalating. Other countries are still not getting a grip on the virus.
It makes no sense for more than 30,000 people from 195 countries to be allowed to enter the UK for the COP26 conference in Glasgow. If COP26 is allowed to go ahead and there is a new outbreak of Covid causing deaths in Scotland and the UK, then politicians and organisers should be charged with manslaughter.
Clark Cross,
Linlithgow.
Thank goodness for gas
I WOULD like to add to Aileen Jackson’s letter on wind farms (April 14). For much of this week almost windless conditions are dominating the UK and it brings into question the point of having wind turbines. On Tuesday (April 13) at 7am wind farms were only producing 1.5 per cent of the UK electricity demand. At the same time solar was at zero.
And by 11am wind had dropped further to only cover 0.6% of demand.
All this week gas power stations have been able to fill the deficit with their ability to massively change their output. We haven’t yet found a way to turn the wind and sun up or down.
Geoff Moore,
Alness.
Let’s push lateral flow tests
IN April, our First Minister announced everyone in Scotland would have access to twiceweekly free lateral flow testing. This is a brilliant idea and should be heavily advertised and encouraged as a great way of easing out of lockdown while closely monitoring for Covid.
England has been offering this service since April 9.
Meanwhile, in Scotland: tumbleweed.
Paul Morrison,
Glasgow.