YOUR editorial ( Reflections on a life of selfless devotion and service , The Herald, April 10) gave a very apt reflection on a life of service. So sad, it is, that with lockdown beginning to lift, and Prince Philip’s centenary milestone just around the corner, the Queen and her family should instead be plunged into mourning. With her strength and stay over all these 73 years now taken, hopefully the Queen’s inner faith and fortitude will see her through; with a few years’ service yet, surely. Prince Philip’s death marks the end of a wonderful era, with no doubt; but an increased constitutional role for Charles may now be appropriate, perhaps? Meantime, thoughts are with the Queen, personally, as she faces her keenest loss.
YOUR front-page lead article today ( Half of checked care homes ‘weak’ on infection control , The Herald, February 25), complied diligently with the recent narrative of Public Health Scotland, which is to deflect attention from the unrealistic expectations currently being placed on care home staff throughout the country. The article correctly points out that a fortnightly report on the outcome of care home checks is currently being presented to the Holyrood Parliament. However, these inspections are very keen to make points that seem to blame care home staff for most weaknesses they inevitably find in busy care home settings. As a care home worker before and throughout the pandemic, I am qualified to respond to these issues. Since last March I have been expected to carry out duties of a dispensing pharmacist, be a substitute family member to the residents I am responsible for, as well as carrying out enhanced deep cleaning. In this context, for Public Health Scotland to s
YOU report that the first tunnel boring machine (TBM) had arrived in Britain from Germany, albeit in more than 1,000 parts to be assembled over the coming months, to bore a 10-mile long tunnels as part of the HS2 route ( HS2 tunnel machines arrive for assembly at UK site , The Herald December 8). My fag-packet Pythagoras calculations tell me that such a machine could bore a tunnel under the mountains somewhere between Arrochar/Ardgartan to rejoin the A83 north of the Rest and be Thankful, of proportions sufficient to allow for the subsequent construction of a two-lane roadway in full compliance with UK road requirements.