Union Street has much to celebrate

Marches do not have place in society

SIR, – I am a proud Aberdonian, and there are lots of us about, but perhaps we need to be more vocal.

Mr Mess (Letters, July 19) moved away from Aberdeen more than 20 years ago and he seems surprised to find that Union Street has changed. He chose to focus on all the negative things he could find. Perhaps Mr Ness could have chosen to highlight the great things happening on Union Street.

I walk down and see the magnificent floral arrangements, the Capitol Building, and the Silver Fin, which is attracting companies to relocate into the heart of Union Street.

Nuart is an award-winning art programme bringing colour and life back onto our streets. Miller & Carter have just opened a fantastic new steakhouse, transforming part of the long-empty E&M building.

The Music Hall is set to open later this year after a multi-millionpound facelift. Just a few yards off Union Street he would have seen the exciting changes to the Art Gallery or the incredible transformation of Marischal College and the surrounding investment which has seen new retailers and a fantastic leopard sculpture.

Yes, Union Street has its issues, like every other city centre, but I say to Mr Ness come back and be filled with pride at all the great things in our city centre. SIR, – I see from today’s issue that following a meeting between Glasgow City Council and the organisers of the recent Orange Order march, a further planned parade through the city centre has been cancelled (Press and Journal, July 20).

Presumably with public order considerations in mind this was a wise decision. Had the march gone ahead it would have followed the same route as the previous one, on which occasion a Catholic priest was spat upon.

One has to wonder what place these marches have in today’s society and how long they can continue. It’s plain many feel they should be off the streets entirely, with an online petition to that effect already gaining 80,000 signatures.