Latest news with #Live8
The Irish Sun
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Fans shocked as rock star worth £111m is seen queuing for Ryanair flight
FANS have been left totally shocked after spotting a rock star worth £111m queuing for a Ryanair flight. Not only was this Irish superstar seen about to board a budget flight, but he told a fan: "I don't spend millions on luxury travel." Advertisement 5 Famous people seemingly travel with budget airlines, too Credit: Getty 5 Bob Geldof was seen at Venice's Marco Polo airport on Friday Credit: SWNS 5 He wore a white shirt and a beige hat Credit: SWNS 5 He posed with travel content creator Jay Curtis Credit: SWNS Boomtown Rats frontman The Live Aid founder was seen by a fan as he waited at the check-in queue for his flight. Seen with his bandmates at Venice's Marco Polo airport, Bob was waiting to board his plane to London, as per reports. One onlooker saw Bob waiting in line and noted how he had queued with regular members of the public who were also flying, for an hour. Advertisement Read More about Celebs Fellow passenger Jay Curtis, 39, saw Bob as he was waiting to board the plane. As well as seeing him in line, he also saw him enjoying a croissant and a coffee whilst waiting for his flight, believed to be to London, on Friday afternoon. Speaking to "There was quite a long queue at the Ryanair check-in, and Advertisement Most read in Celebrity Exclusive "I had a selfie with him in the line but saw him twice again. "He was sat in a cafe after security about three or four tables away from me, having a coffee and a croissant. Watch as Bob Geldof 'leaks' The One Show secret live on air - leaving viewers 'feeling lied to' "I was just surprised; the guy's worth $150m and he's queuing with everyone else." He then explained how he was "quite shocked" and noted how he "was not priority or anything". Advertisement Mr Curtis went on to say how Bob and his band "didn't even pay to fast-track security or anything". Mr Curtis, who is a travel influencer, spoke to Bob and asked him: "Why are you flying Ryanair?" I don't spend money on luxury travel. Bob Geldof to fellow plane passenger Bob replied: "I don't spend money on luxury travel." The traveller then explained how his flight to Bristol from Venice was £47. Advertisement "So he's probably not spent much more than that on his flight," he added. The Irish rocker is widely recognised for his activism and charity work. In 1984, he teamed up with Midge Ure to found the charity supergroup Band Aid to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia. Bob and Midge went on to organise the charity super-concert Live Aid the following year and the Live 8 concerts in 2005. Advertisement 5 Jay Curtis has dished the gossip on his chat with Bob Credit: SWNS
Express Tribune
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Live Aid turns 40
"It's 12 noon in London, 7AM in Philadelphia, and around the world it's time for Live Aid." This television announcement on July 13, 1985, heralded over 16 hours of music broadcast from Wembley Stadium in London and John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia that united close to 2 billion people across more than 100 countries, reports DW. Live Aid was no ordinary gig. With the primary aim of raising funds for famine relief in then drought-stricken Ethiopia, it was the largest satellite link-up and television broadcast of its time. It featured an unprecedented lineup of music's biggest names across diverse genres, featuring luminaries — some since departed, including Freddie Mercury, David Bowie and Tina Turner — who performed for free. People around the world watched agog as Mercury cued Wembley's 72,000 fans with those iconic overhead claps during the chorus of Queen's 1984 hit Radio Ga Ga, as U2's Bono jumped off the stage and danced with a teenage fan, as Bob Geldof urged viewers to donate money. And to set the record straight about the oft-repeated Live Aid lore: Sir Bob never said, "Give us your f***ing money." He was misquoted. Outreach via rock 'n' roll Conceived and executed by Irish musician Geldof and Ultravox's Midge Ure, Live Aid was put together at astonishing speed, the momentum having come from the 1984 Band Aid single Do They Know It's Christmas? — a now-contentious song that the artists co-wrote. Ure later recalled to The Guardian how much of the Live Aid planning unfolded on instinct and goodwill rather than strategy or budget. Consequently, it set a template that was later emulated by events such as Farm Aid (1985), Live 8 (2005) and Live Earth (2007). Speaking in 2004, when a DVD box set of the event was released, Geldof said: "We took an issue that was nowhere on the political agenda and, through the lingua franca of the planet — which is not English, but rock 'n' roll — we were able to address the intellectual absurdity and the moral repulsion of people dying of want in a world of surplus." 'For Africa,' without Africans Though many boomers and Gen Xers may recall Live Aid fondly as a unique moment of global unity before social media, in retrospect it wasn't without its flaws. Especially when viewed through the lens of diversity and representation. Despite being a benefit for Africa, no African performers were featured on stage in 1985. Ditto female representation, where aside from Sade, Tina Turner, Madonna and Patti LaBelle, the line-up was overwhelmingly white and male. Geldof defended the choices, saying the artists were selected based on their pull to maximise donations. In 2005, Geldof organised Live 8 — a series of concerts that coincided with the G8 summit, which aimed to get leaders of the eight major industrialised countries to "Make Poverty History" — but it again wasn't representative. The original lineup featured only Senegalese singer Youssou N'Dour, with Geldof trotting out the star bankability trope again. "This is outrageous and deeply smug," said Andy Kershaw, the DJ who helped with the TV presentation of Live Aid. "They are saying: 'Don't neglect Africa' — but that's just what they are doing here." Subsequently, the Africa Calling concert was organised. Hosted by N'Dour, it featured prominent African artists like Somali singer Maryam Mursal and Beninese vocalist Angelique Kidjo. Moky Makura, executive director of Africa No Filter, was in her late teens when she watched the original concert. She wrote in The Guardian in 2023, "As a Nigerian born in Lagos and educated in the UK, it took me a moment to realise that the version of Africa that Live Aid was selling the world was very different to the one in which I grew up." She added: "Live Aid remains the unfortunate and inadvertent poster child for a development approach to Africa that still drives much of the sector today - the desire to identify and fix the challenges of poor countries and the belief that money is the primary solution." White saviours? Geldof has often been described as having a "white saviour complex," which he rejects. Dismissing a critical comment in The Guardian in 2024 about how some viewed Live Aid as reinforcing "a patronising image of Africa as a continent desperate for, and dependent on, Western aid," Geldof retorted that it was "the greatest load of bullocks ever." Live Aid did raise millions for famine relief, with some political ripple effects. It inspired the set-up of the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in 2003. The program was recently gutted following Trump's financial cuts. A current documentary, Live Aid at 40: When Rock 'n' Roll Took On The World, also reveals how Geldof's, and fellow Irishman Bono's, relentless lobbying of G8 leaders saw them eventually agree to cancel USD40 billion of debt owed by 18 of the world's poorest countries after Live 8, and promise to increase aid to developing nations by USD50 billion a year by 2010. Geldof, now 73 and doing the interview circuit commemorating Live Aid's 40th anniversary, doubts that the ethos of Live Aid can be replicated in the age of social media. "It's an isolating technology, unlike rock 'n' roll which is a gathering technology," Geldof told NME. Condemning a recent statement by Elon Musk that the "great weakness of Western civilisation was empathy," he said: "No Elon, the glue of civilisation is empathy. We're in the age of the death of kindness, and I object." But the rocker remains hopeful: "You can change things, you really can actually change things. ... The individual isn't powerless and, collectively, you really can change things."
Wales Online
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Live Aid's Bob Geldof felt ‘responsible' after tragic daughter death and how he gets 'respite' from his sorrow
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Sir Bob Geldof is a name that we all recognise, whether that was for his vocals as a member of the Irish rock band the Boomtown Rats, or perhaps for his fundraising work organising the charity supergroup Band Aid. He later organised the charity concert Live Aid which is celebrating a 40 year anniversary in 2025 and Live 8 which took place in 2005, all of which were to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia. However, you may not know about Sir Bob's difficult family history, after losing one of his daughters to a heroin overdose in 2014. The political activist has spoken openly to the media about his grief, and questioning whether or not he was responsible. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter . Peaches Geldof was the second daughter of Bob and the Welsh television presenter and writer Paula Yates, the first daughter being Fifi Trixibelle Geldof. Peaches was a model, journalist and TV presenter who presented her own documentary programmes and frequently wrote magazine columns. When she was just 11-years-old, her mother died of a heroin overdose in 2000 at the age of 41. In a 2013 interview with Elle magazine, she explained how difficult the process of coming to terms with her mother's death was: She said: "I remember the day my mother died, and it's still hard to talk about it. I just blocked it out. I went to school the next day because my father's mentality was 'keep calm and carry on'. So we all went to school and tried to act as if nothing had happened. But it had happened. "I didn't grieve. I didn't cry at her funeral. I couldn't express anything because I was just numb to it all. I didn't start grieving for my mother properly until I was maybe 16." (Image: Mirrorpix) Just 14 years later, at 25-years-old unfortunately Peaches faced a much similar fate leaving behind two young sons, Astala and Phaedra. Peaches was discovered deceased by her husband Tom Cohen at their residence in Wrotham, Kent, on April 7, 2014. An inquest found that the cause of her death was opioid intoxication, and recorded a verdict of drug-related death, however there was no evidence to suggest it was deliberate. At the time, the Boomtown Rats frontman and campaigner expressed his torment, saying he "goes over and over and over" what he could have done to aid the mother of two. In an interview with ITV News, he described his daughter as "super bright" but "frantic" in her personal life. "You blame yourself," Sir Bob Geldof confessed. "You're the father who is responsible and clearly failed." He continued: "For anybody watching, who has a dead kid and you're a parent, you go back, you go back, you go over, you go over. What could you have done? You do as much as you can." (Image: PA) He mentioned that press criticism of his daughters following the demise of their mother Paula Yates in 2000 had also "damaged" them. When questioned if he was aware of his daughter's drug dependency, he acknowledged: "Of course I knew about it and we did more than talk about it, yeah. She was super bright. Too bright. "But the rest was a franticness. She knew what life was supposed to be and God bless her, she tried very hard to get there. And she didn't make it." Sir Bob revealed that performing with the Boomtown Rats offers him a respite from the sorrow of losing his daughter. He explained: "It is utterly cathartic. Those two hours and I am drained. In every sense it empties, it drains my mind. "On stage I'm lost in this thing and it's a very brief respite. ". The Boomtown Rats are celebrating their 50th anniversary and once again touring following their performance on Jools Holland's Annual Hootenanny on New Year's Eve. This includes a UK tour, some European dates and several festivals. You can find more here.
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
We used to have hope and compassion. Where did it all go?
I've just finished watching Live Aid at 40, the three-part BBC series about the Live Aid concert in aid of the famine-stricken in Ethiopia, held in both London and Philadelphia on July 13, 1985. I'd a particular interest, as I was serving with the RAF detachment in Ethiopia in January '85 when Bob Geldof arrived on his first visit, and I joined his entourage on a trip to the port of Assab and the famine camp at Mekele. The latter was beyond horrific, and I have nothing but respect for Bob Geldof and the many others who, as Sting put it, planted a seed that showed signs of flourishing into a better world. Advertisement The documentary reminded me that, 20 years after Live Aid, there was Live 8 on July 2, 2005, held in eight cities around the globe, including Moscow. That was the time of the Make Poverty History campaign, of the G8 in Gleneagles when world leaders, including Vladimir Putin, signed up to an accord to cancel debt owed by the poorest nations of the world and to boost aid to Africa. It was a time when President George Bush committed $15 billion to the fight against Aids in Africa and the Caribbean, saying that compassion was an American value. Looking at the hopes and aspirations of those times gone by and looking at the world as it is today, all I can ask is: where did it all go wrong? Doug Maughan, Dunblane. Who are they kidding? Who are Prime Minister Starmer and President Macron kidding if they think that their "one in, one out" pilot scheme is 'groundbreaking", will have a 'deterrent effect beyond the numbers actually returned" and will 'finally turn the tables"? At least there was no further mention of the sound bite pipe dream of "smashing the gangs" ('Starmer and Macron detail 'one in, one out' migrant pilot to curb crossings", The Herald, July 11). It is worth noting their scheme is to curb crossings, not stop them. Advertisement A potential migrant was interviewed on TV this morning and unsurprisingly said it would not deter him. Hundreds come over each week and the risk of being one of those few selected (how?) to be returned is minuscule, and anyway the legal aid lawyers will be queuing up to challenge that selection and appeal again and again against it if necessary. We have huge numbers of migrants coming here to seek asylum through legal routes and that will no doubt continue, but the illegal migrants are paying the trafficking gangs to avoid any scrutiny. How can it be in our national security interests to have thousands of mainly young men, about whom we know little or nothing, dispersed around the country ? When will the Government act on its previous admission that it was its 'duty" to stop, not just curb, these illegal migrants? That will require it to enforce the sovereignty of the UK and its borders by legislating to create the real deterrent that illegal migrants are disqualified automatically, no ifs or buts, from staying here and will be arrested on arrival and held securely until they can be deported back to French waters from where they came. What else can we do to stop this illegal invasion? Alan Fitzpatrick, Dunlop. Read more letters Advertisement What hope now for Labour? The only way to quiet the Farage foghorn is to turn the narrative away from 'irregular migration' to one of the many, many other pressing, sidelined issues. There are two problems with this. • The predominantly right-wing UK media loves the aggro and lazy one-trick-pony-ness of it as much as Nigel Farage. • It would take real leadership from Keir Starmer (sprinkled with some belief in his own policies) to achieve. Banging on about migration in wholly negative terms while doing precious little to fix the broken system that encourages the exploitation – including even acknowledging the disastrous role of Brexit – is too easy fuel for Reform UK and is lapped up by a swathe of the population, now comfortable in dressing their racism up as patriotism. Advertisement Angela Rayner, who might contend as a real leader, has just been carpeted by her union for her role in the Birmingham bin strike ("Angela Rayner suspended by Unite union over bin strike", heraldscotland, July 11). I didn't know Angela Rayner ran Birmingham City Council. And anyway, it is high time the major unions – including the ones who keep orchestrating rail strikes – cottoned on that in a country where everything is either privatised or de-facto privatised and the job of a lot of councils is simply working out whose mates to give the contracts to, strikes only actually affect the suffering public who are already paying through the nose for failing and dysfunctional services. With Ms Rayner's wings clipped by an out-of-touch union, what hope is there that Labour leadership can change the discordant tune? At least we've got Keir Starmer's Trump visit to look forward to. Amanda Baker, Edinburgh. Why should we pay for Trump? It is said that the purpose of Donald Trump's visit is to open the new 18 hole-golf course at his resort in the north-east coast at Menie, north of Aberdeen. He is not expected to meet with King Charles in London. For all intents and purposes therefore, the visit is a business trip and the only political elements pertaining to the situation are due to the person making the trip. Advertisement The trip of 2018 cost the UK taxpayer in the region of £18 million, £5m of which covered time spent in Scotland. Since the purpose of the 2025 trip is to further expand Trump business, why should the UK taxpayer be called to compensate the President for security/transport costs if they are in fact business expenses ("Police seek aid over cost of Trump Scots visit", The Herald, July 11)? The US taxpayer no doubt gazes dumbfounded as their Head of State boards Air Force One for yet another round of golf in warmer climes, but they voted for him. Scotland didn't. Maureen McGarry-O'Hanlon, Jamestown. • Do we really want to see US President Donald Trump in Scotland, pay at least £5 million for his security, and let him promote his golf courses? No, no, no! Advertisement He's the most obnoxious, arrogant and ignorant numpty ever to inhabit the White House. Our police could instead deal with what really matters in our communities and I would urge our golfers to play different courses. Andy Stenton, Glasgow. • You report the news of a Presidential visit by The Donald this month. The last time around the security bill was many millions of pounds. The numbers of police being taken from their usual duties numbered thousands. In view of his seemingly singular undiplomatic views on all things American and many other countries, it gives way as to how to view the visit. Does one join with a large demonstration, of which there will be many to choose from, or stay at home like the multitude who care nought for him and the ideology he professes? Advertisement It is a no-win situation for the police and the taxpayer. R Johnston, Newton Mearns. Wind industry is on holiday During this current heatwave when we need electricity for air conditioning the most, I couldn't help but notice the wind industry has gone off on holiday. The entire fleet of thousands of entirely parasitic, demonstrably useless giant wind turbines littering our once-beautiful countryside is barely able to provide the National Grid with 2% – reaching the dizzying heights of 1.46% to be precise. Will we get a refund of the vast annual record-breaking subsidy for poor or non-existent service? Advertisement George Herraghty, Lhanbryde. Keir Starmer pictured with Emmanuel Macron earlier this week (Image: PA) Drink up, Canada I note Ross Greer's advice to John Swinney to "switch" Scots whisky exports from America to Canada ("'Switch our whisky exports from US to Canada over Trump tariffs'", The Herald, July 11). Looking at this from the perspective of per head of population (335 million versus 40 million) this will require Canadians to increase their whisky consumption by a factor of 8.3. Good luck with that. Another example of sound political logic? Jon Cossar, Edinburgh. McDermid on the warpath Val McDermid has gone on the warpath ("Val McDermid: Politics is an 'absolute cesspit of misogyny'", heraldscotland, July 10). This is intriguing as Ms McDermid is very good friends with Nicola Sturgeon, who almost single-handedly removed the basic rights of all Scottish females to their own private space with her ill-thought-out gender reforms. Are we detecting yet more push-back against the very relevant Supreme Court decision on this matter which pointedly did not support Nicola Sturgeon's position ? Advertisement You could write a book about all of this. Dr Gerald Edwards, Glasgow. Rough treatment Scotland looked wonderful yesterday (July 10) in the sun at the Scottish Open Golf at the Renaissance Club overlooking the Firth of Forth. The golf was also pretty good, with some Scots in contention and of course the fans behaved impeccably. The only slightly sour note was provided by the two heavies escorting Rory McIlroy, who seemed intent on preventing the young fans touching hands with their hero, shame. I am sure that Rory would not sanction such action. W MacIntyre, East Kilbride. Taps off, please The backdrop to Carol Kirkwood's BBC weather forecast today (July 11) was Battersea Park. The 20-plus fountains were majestically performing in full flow. The previous news item had stressed the need to conserve water due to the current weather. The watery spectacle seemed to contradict the public warning. Advertisement Lack of communication or a complete disregard for common sense? Either way a prompt turn-off is required. Allan C Steele, Giffnock. Our 45 record Kristy Dorsey's article on the Eastwood Twelve ("The revival of golf at Eastwood: '12 is plenty'", The Herald, July 11) mentions people not wanting to take out the whole day to play 18 holes. Back in the day, three of us regularly played both of Hilton Park's courses, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, followed by nine holes on the shorter Allander course in the evening, only the twilight hours restricting our day's golf to 45 holes. Advertisement We were known as the lopers, admittedly with no wives and families to be brought into the equation. David Miller, Milngavie. • Samantha Whitelaw, the manager of the 12 -hole Eastwood Golf Course, lists the advantages of the club's limited number of holes compared to the more conventional 18-hole course. As a former "holiday golfer", one of the attractions would be to claim that I could manage a round at my course in fewer than sixty strokes – but only on a good day. Malcolm Allan, Bishopbriggs.
The Herald Scotland
12-07-2025
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
We used to have hope and compassion. Where did it all go?
The documentary reminded me that, 20 years after Live Aid, there was Live 8 on July 2, 2005, held in eight cities around the globe, including Moscow. That was the time of the Make Poverty History campaign, of the G8 in Gleneagles when world leaders, including Vladimir Putin, signed up to an accord to cancel debt owed by the poorest nations of the world and to boost aid to Africa. It was a time when President George Bush committed $15 billion to the fight against Aids in Africa and the Caribbean, saying that compassion was an American value. Looking at the hopes and aspirations of those times gone by and looking at the world as it is today, all I can ask is: where did it all go wrong? Doug Maughan, Dunblane. Who are they kidding? Who are Prime Minister Starmer and President Macron kidding if they think that their "one in, one out" pilot scheme is 'groundbreaking", will have a 'deterrent effect beyond the numbers actually returned" and will 'finally turn the tables"? At least there was no further mention of the sound bite pipe dream of "smashing the gangs" ('Starmer and Macron detail 'one in, one out' migrant pilot to curb crossings", The Herald, July 11). It is worth noting their scheme is to curb crossings, not stop them. A potential migrant was interviewed on TV this morning and unsurprisingly said it would not deter him. Hundreds come over each week and the risk of being one of those few selected (how?) to be returned is minuscule, and anyway the legal aid lawyers will be queuing up to challenge that selection and appeal again and again against it if necessary. We have huge numbers of migrants coming here to seek asylum through legal routes and that will no doubt continue, but the illegal migrants are paying the trafficking gangs to avoid any scrutiny. How can it be in our national security interests to have thousands of mainly young men, about whom we know little or nothing, dispersed around the country ? When will the Government act on its previous admission that it was its 'duty" to stop, not just curb, these illegal migrants? That will require it to enforce the sovereignty of the UK and its borders by legislating to create the real deterrent that illegal migrants are disqualified automatically, no ifs or buts, from staying here and will be arrested on arrival and held securely until they can be deported back to French waters from where they came. What else can we do to stop this illegal invasion? Alan Fitzpatrick, Dunlop. Read more letters What hope now for Labour? The only way to quiet the Farage foghorn is to turn the narrative away from 'irregular migration' to one of the many, many other pressing, sidelined issues. There are two problems with this. • The predominantly right-wing UK media loves the aggro and lazy one-trick-pony-ness of it as much as Nigel Farage. • It would take real leadership from Keir Starmer (sprinkled with some belief in his own policies) to achieve. Banging on about migration in wholly negative terms while doing precious little to fix the broken system that encourages the exploitation – including even acknowledging the disastrous role of Brexit – is too easy fuel for Reform UK and is lapped up by a swathe of the population, now comfortable in dressing their racism up as patriotism. Angela Rayner, who might contend as a real leader, has just been carpeted by her union for her role in the Birmingham bin strike ("Angela Rayner suspended by Unite union over bin strike", heraldscotland, July 11). I didn't know Angela Rayner ran Birmingham City Council. And anyway, it is high time the major unions – including the ones who keep orchestrating rail strikes – cottoned on that in a country where everything is either privatised or de-facto privatised and the job of a lot of councils is simply working out whose mates to give the contracts to, strikes only actually affect the suffering public who are already paying through the nose for failing and dysfunctional services. With Ms Rayner's wings clipped by an out-of-touch union, what hope is there that Labour leadership can change the discordant tune? At least we've got Keir Starmer's Trump visit to look forward to. Amanda Baker, Edinburgh. Why should we pay for Trump? It is said that the purpose of Donald Trump's visit is to open the new 18 hole-golf course at his resort in the north-east coast at Menie, north of Aberdeen. He is not expected to meet with King Charles in London. For all intents and purposes therefore, the visit is a business trip and the only political elements pertaining to the situation are due to the person making the trip. The trip of 2018 cost the UK taxpayer in the region of £18 million, £5m of which covered time spent in Scotland. Since the purpose of the 2025 trip is to further expand Trump business, why should the UK taxpayer be called to compensate the President for security/transport costs if they are in fact business expenses ("Police seek aid over cost of Trump Scots visit", The Herald, July 11)? The US taxpayer no doubt gazes dumbfounded as their Head of State boards Air Force One for yet another round of golf in warmer climes, but they voted for him. Scotland didn't. Maureen McGarry-O'Hanlon, Jamestown. • Do we really want to see US President Donald Trump in Scotland, pay at least £5 million for his security, and let him promote his golf courses? No, no, no! He's the most obnoxious, arrogant and ignorant numpty ever to inhabit the White House. Our police could instead deal with what really matters in our communities and I would urge our golfers to play different courses. Andy Stenton, Glasgow. • You report the news of a Presidential visit by The Donald this month. The last time around the security bill was many millions of pounds. The numbers of police being taken from their usual duties numbered thousands. In view of his seemingly singular undiplomatic views on all things American and many other countries, it gives way as to how to view the visit. Does one join with a large demonstration, of which there will be many to choose from, or stay at home like the multitude who care nought for him and the ideology he professes? It is a no-win situation for the police and the taxpayer. R Johnston, Newton Mearns. Wind industry is on holiday During this current heatwave when we need electricity for air conditioning the most, I couldn't help but notice the wind industry has gone off on holiday. The entire fleet of thousands of entirely parasitic, demonstrably useless giant wind turbines littering our once-beautiful countryside is barely able to provide the National Grid with 2% – reaching the dizzying heights of 1.46% to be precise. Will we get a refund of the vast annual record-breaking subsidy for poor or non-existent service? George Herraghty, Lhanbryde. Keir Starmer pictured with Emmanuel Macron earlier this week (Image: PA) Drink up, Canada I note Ross Greer's advice to John Swinney to "switch" Scots whisky exports from America to Canada ("'Switch our whisky exports from US to Canada over Trump tariffs'", The Herald, July 11). Looking at this from the perspective of per head of population (335 million versus 40 million) this will require Canadians to increase their whisky consumption by a factor of 8.3. Good luck with that. Another example of sound political logic? Jon Cossar, Edinburgh. McDermid on the warpath Val McDermid has gone on the warpath ("Val McDermid: Politics is an 'absolute cesspit of misogyny'", heraldscotland, July 10). This is intriguing as Ms McDermid is very good friends with Nicola Sturgeon, who almost single-handedly removed the basic rights of all Scottish females to their own private space with her ill-thought-out gender reforms. Are we detecting yet more push-back against the very relevant Supreme Court decision on this matter which pointedly did not support Nicola Sturgeon's position ? You could write a book about all of this. Dr Gerald Edwards, Glasgow. Rough treatment Scotland looked wonderful yesterday (July 10) in the sun at the Scottish Open Golf at the Renaissance Club overlooking the Firth of Forth. The golf was also pretty good, with some Scots in contention and of course the fans behaved impeccably. The only slightly sour note was provided by the two heavies escorting Rory McIlroy, who seemed intent on preventing the young fans touching hands with their hero, shame. I am sure that Rory would not sanction such action. W MacIntyre, East Kilbride. Taps off, please The backdrop to Carol Kirkwood's BBC weather forecast today (July 11) was Battersea Park. The 20-plus fountains were majestically performing in full flow. The previous news item had stressed the need to conserve water due to the current weather. The watery spectacle seemed to contradict the public warning. Lack of communication or a complete disregard for common sense? Either way a prompt turn-off is required. Allan C Steele, Giffnock. Our 45 record Kristy Dorsey's article on the Eastwood Twelve ("The revival of golf at Eastwood: '12 is plenty'", The Herald, July 11) mentions people not wanting to take out the whole day to play 18 holes. Back in the day, three of us regularly played both of Hilton Park's courses, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, followed by nine holes on the shorter Allander course in the evening, only the twilight hours restricting our day's golf to 45 holes. We were known as the lopers, admittedly with no wives and families to be brought into the equation. David Miller, Milngavie. • Samantha Whitelaw, the manager of the 12 -hole Eastwood Golf Course, lists the advantages of the club's limited number of holes compared to the more conventional 18-hole course. As a former "holiday golfer", one of the attractions would be to claim that I could manage a round at my course in fewer than sixty strokes – but only on a good day. Malcolm Allan, Bishopbriggs.
