Interactive: Serve up the courts to make tennis champs

Do you agree that the council should invest more in tennis facilities around the Capital?

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AS an ardent British tennis fan, I've been most delighted with the form of Andy Murray at this year's Wimbledon championships.

It has been refreshing to see a Scottish player fly the flag for Britain and for the country as a whole to enjoy the talents of a hugely gifted youngster. My joy, however, has been curbed somewhat by the lack of court provision across Edinburgh.

There's probably a plethora of adjoining reasons why we don't have good tennis players from this country but one facet stands out for me.

There is a smattering of private clubs with marvellous facilities (Grange Dyvours in Stockbridge, for example) but fees are expensive and therefore many people are marginalised.

I'm not for one minute suggesting these Capital clubs lower rates, or indeed allow non-members to use the facilities.

I feel it is up to council officials, or even the government, to earmark money to build more tennis courts.

There are municipal venues at the Meadows and Inverleith Park, but courts here are of a poor quality, almost always gravel, while the Scottish tennis centre, run by Edinburgh Leisure, has many high-quality courts, yet it costs many, especially youngsters, an arm and a leg to use them.

The fact that Andy Murray moved to Barcelona at a young age to use the world-class facilities there shows his contempt for tennis facilities around the Capital.

The benefit of more affordable and accessible courts in Edinburgh would be threefold. I'm almost certain the council would make back an outlay on courts if they were affordable, as more people would use them, people would become fitter and healthier and Scotland could, perhaps, create more players capable of competing at the top end of the sport.

With the wave of optimism sweeping the Capital, let alone the country, about Andy Murray's success at Wimbledon, there's not a better time to serve up better tennis court provision for people inspired currently by Scotland's most successful sportsman.

David Illingworth, Trinity, Edinburgh


STV hasn't stuck knife in Taggart

I READ with interest Martin Hannan's opinion piece on STV (Taggart killed off, but the real mystery is STV, Evening News, 1 July) and would like to make the following points.

With regards to Taggart, we remain confident about the future of the series and ITV has stated that there is no truth in the suggestion that Taggart has been axed.

There are five new episodes still to air and we are currently awaiting confirmation of a re-commission from ITV.

Taggart continues to be a ratings winner, pulling in over five million viewers across the UK, delivering a strong return on investment for ITV. It is also a commercial success as a Scottish export.

I reject Mr Hannan's assertion that STV is west-coast oriented. Uniquely, STV produces two main news programmes, including dedicated bulletins from Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Dundee and Glasgow. Mr Hannan also states that STV has "no sport of any worth".

On the contrary, sport is very important to STV and we will always endeavour to keep sport in our schedule.

STV has an ambitious plan to take greater control of its schedule. We have invested in Scotland's only live magazine programme The Hour and coming up over the next few months is a rich variety of high quality documentary series.

STV is ultimately committed to increasing home-grown production and growing the creative industry in Scotland, and a strong STV is at the heart of that.

It is for these reasons that I fully reject Mr Hannan's negative and misguided assertions and would welcome further discussion on the matter.

Bobby Hain, managing director of broadcasting, STV


Will tram system be left to rot too?

YET again Edinburgh Council is failing to collect rubbish.

It took me over two hours to get a partial answer why not – something about a work-to-rule.

Apparently the workers are being asked to take a pay cut. Fair enough, if the employers will do the same.

Rubbish collection is a tiny part of Edinburgh Council's remit.

But if they can't deal with rubbish collection, should we trust them to run the trams?

Hamish Dewar, Craiglockhart Grove


Pilot scheme is good medicine

WITH reference to your story on pharmacists offering advice on alcoholism and depression (News, 2 July), this pilot scheme is a fine idea. Not only will it relieve GPs of pressure, it will allow many people the convenience of going into their local pharmacy to seek help.

Too often we read about people who suffer from these illnesses and how they received no help.

There is something more informal about asking for advice at a pharmacy and that will perhaps take away the nervousness and fear of suffering getting advice.

Ray Conner, Edinburgh


Medics should pray on their own time

IT has been argued that doctors and nurses doing their bed rounds in hospitals should be allowed to pray with patients.

I find this rather odd given the reports that are coming out of our hospitals. In previous reports we have been told these institutions are failing and that there are not enough staff to feed patients who can't feed themselves.

Food is left lying and some patients are ignored for hours because of the pressures put on the medical staff charged with their care – some well-fed people are coming out of hospitals suffering from malnutrition.

So where are they going to find the time to pray with their patients?

Most people who go in to the medical profession believe in science, which is the opposite of spiritual guidance, but if this is what some doctors and nurses want to do, should they not be applying for a university place in the ministry instead?

Andrew Murphy, Royal Mile, Edinburgh