KEEPING IT REAL
In search of a decent cappuccino
Please. please do something about the atrOCious col0ured water that is being sold as a cup of cappuccmo in Edinburgh and Glasgow.
I have paid E125-E165 for a Cup of this muck recently in Edinburgh (the Doric. Henderson's. the Filmhouse) and Glasgow (Dino's. Pizzaland).
When I've complained. I've been given the option to have a cup of coffee With two shots of espresso at a cost of over 5:3! I COuld mention other establishments but the list would be endless. I would go to Starbucks. but I enjoy a Cigarette With my coffee.
Where can my friends and I go to put the world to rights over a real cup of coffee that isn't a smoke-free zone? We need a 'bring back real coffee' campaign.
Maureen Carter Falkirk
Anyone like to make a nomination for a place With a decent cup of the brown stuff?
BUBBLE VISION
Re: War balls (462)
The List dedicates one page out of a foo-odd to peOple's Opinions about the impending war — and not just anyone's Opinions. but actual artists' opinions — and William Sykes decides it's all getting too worthy.
His letter was as depreSSing as it was weird. He describes the campaign against war as a ‘hypocntical central left vanilla'. a fancy but stupid phrase that ignores the amazingly vigorous debate that the whole Iraq issue has whipped up — and certainly not just from the centre left either.
He. meanwhile. w0uld rather be talking ab0ut ‘what's entertaining and what's not'. as if it were possible for something called 'entertainment' to exist in a friendly wee bubble into which
2 m LET 13—27 Mar 2003
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the nasty OutSide world could not intrude. Here we are. possbly on the brink of World War III and he wants to fiddle while Rome burns.
Sure, I'll spend nights on end argumg over my favourite films. records and books. but every one of them comes from somewhere. every one has a context. People like William Sykes W0uld have us talk about The Grapes of Wrath Without reference to the Depression, “Shipbuilding' Without reference to the Falklands War and Bowling to Columbine Without reference to guns.
How does he expect to get 'intelligent debate' from such a blinkered starting pOInt?
Neil McArthur vra email
SEEN AND BEANSCENE
Re: The latte show (462) Interesting that Sandy Nelson thinks coffee houses should be custom fit for him and him alone. Perhaps they were made to 'relax. read. ponder. create. have meetings etc' but this does not preclude children from enjOying them as well. There are many that discourage children after a certain hour but there are Just as many that enc0urage children. such as the Beanscene.
I have been to many cafes where the grown adults are louder than the children and cluttering the aisles With their belongings. blocking the servers' way. Children are a part of life and are everywhere.
It Sandy is in such misery being around them. good luck trying to av0id them in everyday life. And if travelling. forget places like Italy. Greece. Seuth America where children are cherished and not despised. Perhaps France w0uld be Sandy's ideal destination where the poodle is adored and children are a necessary evil. The only misery I see is Sandy's negative energy that is encroaching on
I“) personal space.
And as a mother of two
would like to remind dear Sandy that these 'crap parents' are trying their best to raise their children to be productiwc- members of society Exposnig children to the world (including social enyironments such as cafes) can only be positive in the long run. Or perhaps parents should Just keep their children locked in the house watching Wand playing Video games. Now that's what I call a plan for the future!
Martha Stewart
Via email
Sorry yOtl did/i 't W/ll the 80/. Martha. but the Winning letter arrived first.
MOG WHY?
Re: Jean genius (462) Middle class boys giVing the working class a bit of
MUM’S THE WORD Re: The latte show (462)
'er‘sideiation" UI‘JE‘N'I“ :iont . Think) Chris Morris
TOWER WRECKERS Re: Architecture & morality (461)
Further to the artillt: I)‘,
Raymond I ‘.<>rlf, or‘ loner tot,
rumour has it that the ad;a<:ent car dealership has been purchased I», the same developer With plans for the construction of a further so apartments. Will this be a mirror image of Tower 461'?
Can Southsiders look I()l\.‘.’£il(f to the uniondr‘ous ‘~.’I(}'.'.’ of the “TV/in Towers of Polloksliaz'is Road"? Why have one blot on the have two?
At least the sun alt-rays shone in Eli/tirade and the sangria flowed!
Bill Sawers Via email
andscape when we can
Can you tell Sandy Nelson that good parenting doesn't mean sacrifiCing your life. It means that you bring up your children to be a part of socrety. Parents not only have the right to take their children out to cafes. but have a duty to make sure that their children are exposed to a range of experiences including social occaSions where they can learn first hand that a life well led can. and should. involve relaxing With friends over a cup of
coffee or a drink in a public place.
There are genuinely horrible things happening to children all over the world. If Sandy is really bothered about the welfare of children. he should be addressing those issues rather than whinging about a few middle class parents in coffee houses.
Glad that's off my chest. Back to my cauliflower cheese and on to page three of your illustrious publication.
Jan McTaggart Via email
Put the coffee down. Crack open
a bottle of So/ instead. We 're
sending you a crate. Don't drink it in front of the bairn, [Til/Id.
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