I HAD to laugh when I saw the posters appearing around Newton Stewart advertising the Circus coming to Town.
From my vantage point the circus is in town permanently.
We have the Clowns (complete with performing dog) on the cinema steps most days of the week intimidating passers-by. (Do us all a favour and get a job.)
We have the Fire Eaters outside the pubs blocking the pavement and intimidating passers-by. (It's a shame fag-ends have no value, if they had, Newton Stewart's streets would be paved with gold !)
We have the drunken can and bottle Jugglers on the riverbank, again intimidating passers-by. (Why the town promotes the riverside walk to visitors I just don't know - the bank behind Aldi looks like a bomb site, most of the fencing has been smashed and thrown in the river and the detrius of the aforementioned jugglers is an eyesore.)
We have the elephants most nights of the week, sat on various steps along the main street intimidating passers-by and leaving their droppings as evidence of their presence.
Finally, the Chimps, everybody loves the Chimps, seeing them parading up and down the main street in their fancy cars is a treat not to be missed.
I dread to think what visitors think of our town. It has so much to offer yet I fear they go away thinking only the worst having witnessed the various 'Circus Acts' performing.
I have lived here for over five years now. I chose to live here attracted by the very thing that these people are destroying. The recent downhill slide on our streets is a great shame and it's about time it was stopped.

A Concerned Newton Stewart Resident
(Name and address supplied)

The question of whether Creetown is in the Stewartry or Wigtownshire was raised at a recent meeting of the Wigtown Area Committee.
When local authorities were reorganised in 1974, the boundary between Kirkcudbrightshire and Wigtownshire was moved east from the River Cree to Ravenshall, so that Minnigaff, Creetown and Carsluith became part of Wigtownshire.
The change was the result of a survey into patterns of travel for work, shopping and the provision of services. People living in Carsluith were more likely to go to Creetown and Newton Stewart, whereas those at Mossyard for instance were more orientated towards Gatehouse and Castle Douglas.
Traditionally, rivers such as the Cree have been the natural boundaries but this has been superceded by modern transport.
Unfortunately the situation continues to be confused by a local authority ward which spans both counties, and services such as planning which do not reflect the present district boundaries.
After 36 years it is time these matters were clarified.

David Hannay
Kirkdale
Carsluith
Wigtownshire
It WAS interesting to read Struan Stevenson's letter in last week's Gazette.
I agree with his sentiments in his latter paragraphs that we cannot simply close down the oil industry indefinitely because of the BP Horizon incident in the Gulf of Mexico.
The US Government has gone way over the top in making political capital on this incident and it has resulted in a witch-hunt on not only BP but questions raised about the integrity of the decision on Megrahi's release.
Even though I disagreed with his decision, I respect McAskill for making it, as he did not chose the easy way out and the UK as a whole should be seen to be backing Scotland on this.
Mr Stevenson expresses reservations on safety and security of oil and gas extraction in the North Sea and says that the EU plans to conduct "Stress Tests" on existing EU regulations on Oil and Gas Exploration.
I have no problems with that provided it is a constructive audit.
However, it should be recognised, that as a result of the world's worst ever offshore oil disaster in July 1988 which claimed the lives of 167 men on Piper Alpha and which was the result of the gross negligence of Occidental, an American company, safety legislation in the UKCS was radically changed.
These changes which brought in the Offshore Installations (Safety Case) Regulations went way beyond the requirements of anywhere else in the global oil scene and cost the UK oil Industry hundreds of millions.
Whereas safety has always got to be the number one priority, we have to be aware that the offshore oil business will always have inherent dangers, and like Mr Stevenson I suggest that we do not over-react to what, in my view, verges on hypocrisy by the US government.

Bill Allan
Garlieston

I HAVE lived long enough to have a memory of wonderful salmon and sea trout fishing in the River Cree and of restful days on its banks watching salmon leap in the Brewery Pool.
But these are only memories and they will remain so unless the effects on the fish population of de-forestation, acid rain and over fishing can be reversed.
The Cree is not alone in its predicament.
Many have suffered the same fate but it is a matter of fact that all those who took corrective action through the successful management of a hatchery have survived and prospered.
The opportunity is there to revive this valuable asset to not only Newton Stewart but to the county. All that is needed is the will and the helping hands.
We have created the problem – we cannot standby and expect nature to repair the damage without some help.
If we delay much longer the opportunity to revive the natural brood stock of the indigenous species will be lost forever.
It will be too late to talk of corrective action in five or 10 years time. Act now or the next generation will not even have memories of fish in the Cree.

R Stuart Lyon

l Letters continued on Page 12
Now that the dust has settled, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank each and every person who came out to support and attend The Galloway Pageant 2010. A lot of hard work goes in to preparing the week - it's not just a few days before it, it takes the committee a year to get everything in order and the work involved is not just time consuming, but often very physical and sometimes quite unsavoury (committee members, who volunteered their time for this, had to clear up dirty nappies and broken glass bottles which had been abandoned on Minnigaff Playing Fields during pageant day!)
But the hard work is worth it for the fun everyone appears to have. It's a terrible shame to think the events were in danger two years ago, as when I see the public support forthcoming during pageant week, It is evident just how much it would have been missed.
So thanks must go to all the committee members and their families who mucked in, each member of the public who joined in and to all the hotel, pub, shop and club owners who offer their venues and products for use.
Specific thanks must go the Newton Stewart Army Cadets who were a tremendous help on pageant day.
The committee is always keen to welcome new members so look out for our AGM notice in the autumn and come along to give us your input.
Kim Crosbie
Galloway Pageant chairperson