Published today in The Scotsman newspaper

As people who know me well will say, I can be a right complainer but it does take a lot for me to actually write a letter of complaint into a newspaper but I did, and unbelievably, it was over ART, yes ... paintings! Having read Saturday's Scotsman Newspaper (Scotland's National Newspaper since 1817). Here is the letter text:

Dear Editor

So the Royal Scottish Academy have sold English artist LS Lowry's The Hawker's Cart for £550,000 to 'rationalise' its collection. Someone has deemed that this popular work may not fit in with its collection of Scottish art. As someone who considers themselves to be Scottish and [itals please] British, I am very disappointed that the RSA feels visitors such as myself can appreciate only home-grown works.

I trust that the RSA will bear this new policy in mind the next time it wishes to charge for a summer exhibition by such well-kent Scottish artists as Monet and Gaugin.

Additionally, I wish to pledge my support to art historian John Chalmers in his crusade to retain John James Audubon's Wild Turkey Cock, Hen and Young, which the RSA seems also set to sell. I am especially aggrieved as the painting was given as a gift from the painter to the Academy in 1826 - how is it even entitled to sell something gifted to the nation, intended to be enjoyed by the people. Audubon is a world-famous natural history painter and we should feel honoured to have a painting of such calibre on show in the capital.

Although it is too late to save the Lowry, I implore the RSA to give the Audubon pride of place, where it belongs.


Other things I have been known to moan about include: Gaelic TV, STV & Gaelic education, football etc. (there may be a pattern there) ... anyway, just call me Victor Meldrew!

I just don't believe it ....