YOU report sad news for all those hoping that the most effective wind generation projects would be snapped up in the latest licensing round ("No offshore wind projects in latest round of licensing", The Herald, September 9).

The main reason offshore wind failed to win any bids was that the UK Government allowed maximum bid prices of £44 /MWhr for offshore wind vs £53 /MWhr for onshore wind. This is to say that Westminster is willing to subsidise at a higher level the less-efficient renewable locations. Onshore wind is only 25% efficient and offshore is 40% efficient, meaning the wind offshore blows half as much again as wind onshore. All sailors know this. Offshore wind provides the real horsepower and scale to reach net zero.

It shows that those at the wheel understand the cost of everything so far as wind turbines are concerned and the value of nothing. Wind generation is a small component of the total cost of electricity. As well as generation, your bill pays for building the network, transmitting the power, providing alternative energy sources for fluctuating wind and developing storage.

In the drive to do something, anything, to reduce consumption of fossil fuels the complex challenge of doing the right thing has been lost. Do it right first time by getting the energy source right (offshore), the network right (offshore) and take it directly to the major consumption centres (big cities) and then it won’t need to be done again in 20 years time.

Jonathan Rose, Banchory.

Football is becoming scary

KEVIN McKenna pens a fine article comparing the differing attitudes taken by the authorities to the followers of football and rugby ("Proud football supporters really do know how to support their communities", The Herald, September 11).

I concur with almost everything said in his piece, especially how rugby is losing out to untapped talent by not extending their pool of potential players beyond private schools. However, on the question of why football supporters do not have access to alcohol at games whilst rugby types do, I'm afraid the answer is very simple and it is that a sizeable minority of football fans with alcohol intake overstep the mark of acceptable behaviour whereas in rugby this is not the case.

The reasons for this are many and varied, one of which may very well be class, which in this day and age is dreadful though demonstrably true.

I am a football fan and season ticket holder not privately educated and would just add that right now the behaviour problem at football grounds has moved on from excess alcohol to drugs and that really is scary.

James Martin, Bearsden.

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The joys of East Kilbride

I WAS delighted to read your article with the details of plans to rejuvenate East Kilbride town centre ("Radical new plan to put heart back into New Town centre", The Herald, September 11). These plans are long overdue.

We moved to the new town in 1967, newly married and pleased to have been allocated a flat in the Calderwood area, Clydebank still suffering from post-Blitz bombed sites and no possibility of us being housed there.

Our two children were born and raised here and often reminisce about how great it was, as a town, for amenities, shops, meeting places with friends , the roller disco and a feeling of safety, long before mobile phones.

We appreciated the well-kept green spaces throughout the town, the quality of the schools and activities and the easy access to countryside and coast. We always regretted EK losing its burgh status and all decisions in planning being made by South Lanarkshire Council. We are, however, hopeful that the new plans, after public consultation, will go through speedily and we can witness the demolition and thoughtful rebuilding of part of the town centre for the enjoyment of the new generation in our rapidly expanding town.

Wendy McNab, East Kilbride.

Bleak prospects for the elderly

REGARDING the challenges facing older Scots: Whilst I agree, and also suffer, as outlined by Ian W Thomson (Letters, September 11), I'm afraid his hopes of a change are forlorn. No changes will be made to the downhill rush for what I call computerisation.

It was explained to me that banks, insurance, railways, government departments and indeed all businesses are very happy with the way things are and are going. "No need for change, the system works fine and eventually the minor problems will resolve themselves." What the lady should have said was that we coffin-dodging computer illiterates would all die off and hence the problems would vanish.

George Smith, Clydebank.

Sad loss of a Herald regular

SO sad to read the death notice (The Herald, September 9) for R Russell Smith, one of the more prolific and entertaining contributors to your Letters Pages. He regularly covered an eclectic range of topics in a humorous and zany style, often with an erudite and insightful commentary on a society which will be the poorer for his passing.

I had the privilege of meeting this gentleman (for that is what he was), on a couple of occasions and no doubt like many other Herald readers, will miss his latest take on things. Thank you, Russell.

John Campbell, Lenzie.

• AS an occasional contributor to your Letters Pages I was rather sad to read of the passing of R Russell Smith.

He was a very regular and witty contributor to The Herald on a wide variety of subjects.

While I never met him, he was one of those individuals you thought you knew. He will be sadly missed.

Dan Edgar, Rothesay.

• I WAS shocked and saddened to read of the passing of R Russell Smith. His contributions to the Letters Page were a delight. I was honoured to be referenced by him on a couple of occasions, which made my day.

To paraphrase him, "he was my kinda guy". Deepest condolences to his wife and family.

Ann Ross-McCall, Glasgow.

• IT is sad to note the passing of R Russell Smith, arguably the most prolific contributor to The Herald's Letters Pages over the past decade. Readers will miss the redoubtable Russell's off-beat take on life's challenges. He regularly coaxed a smile and even laughter on his interpretation of some trivial issue. Well read, well informed but most of all well-meaning.

Many will miss this popular wordsmith's contributions.

Allan C Steele, Giffnock.

• Editor's note: Thanks to all who wrote in. We shall be publishing an obituary on Saturday.