I WAS delighted to see such extensive coverage of the Glasgow’s Miles Better campaign ("Glasgow was miles better... but what has happened to the optimism and promise?", The Herald, May 27).

The embryo of the slogan came from a competition that editor Clive Sandground ran in the Sunday Standard, predecessor of the Sunday Herald. One of the responses was from Mrs John McNaughton, wife of the Moderator of the Glasgow Presbytery. She suggested "Glasgow Makes me Smile", which I thought contained the germ of an idea.

As a result of the publicity generated, John Struthers contacted me and suggested he could provide a more professional approach. He came up with "Go with Glasgow". I showed this privately to a few key Glasgow figures including Arnold Kemp, Editor of The Herald. No one was impressed. I told John that I couldn’t work with it and referred him to the Sunday Standard readers’ efforts. He came back with the one that has become legendary. To me it was genius. And I told him so. The catchphrase was pivotal, but beyond that John had no strategic involvement in the campaign itself. Given limited resources the campaign had to be public relations-driven. It could not rely on a heavy advertising spend.

In that regard, a major player was the Evening Times, which backed the initiative from the start and promoted it for years. The contribution of editor George McKechnie cannot be undervalued. The paper was awarded the City’s Loving Cup in recognition.

Never in my hearing did John Struthers say anything about making people rich or famous. I would have given it short shrift. This was a civic initiative to ask people to get behind their city – not to promote themselves.

The fund-raising also has to be clarified. Before I had even got to finding a slogan I had taken a detailed plan of the proposed image-building campaign to the Labour Group in the City Chambers for a budget. "Advertising" was not seen as a priority in a time of local authorities’ funds being cut. My request was firmly rejected. No public funds went into the launch of the campaign.

Instead, I turned to a source I had already tapped. The local business community had previously provided the funds to clean the facade of the City Chambers – amazing, really, as it was entirely a public responsibility. But Glasgow businessmen loved their city.

They came up trumps again, contributing £100,000. On a point of detail, I did not approach Radio Clyde for money. They were based in Clydebank, not the city. Neither Strathclyde Regional Council nor the Scottish Development Agency gave any support of any kind. Indeed their hostility was easy to detect.

The funds, held and managed exclusively by the city council, were just enough to get things off and running. The citizens of Glasgow immediately embraced the initiative, ensuring that it produced tangible results and became the model for many cities.

However, today Glasgow is in no position to revive it. Denuded of funds and stripped of powers the city needs the creation of a Greater Glasgow Authority with an elected head, publicly funded, with investment and planning powers to restore the damage done over the last number of years. Set it up and the business community will respond – as will our fellow citizens. They always do.

Michael Kelly, Glasgow.

The cheek of Scottish Gas

I HAVE received a letter from Scottish Gas in which they state they will charge me extra for sending me a reminder requesting payment of an outstanding balance.

The letter states "... to cover our costs of contacting you again, we’ve now charged you £13.00, which will be shown on your next bill".

First, I ask: is this legal and legitimate?

But secondly, and more importantly, can I add £13 contra-charge to Scottish Gas for every time I have failed to reach them by phone (despite hanging on for ages, and being told incessantly "your call is important to us")?

If so, I look forward to being a very wealthy man.

Robin M Brown, Milngavie.

📝 Sign up for our Letter of the Day newsletter and receive our Letters Editor's choice every weekday at 8pm.

Get insight from fellow readers and join in on what has Scotland talking. Exclusive responses to our writers and spirited debate on a whole host of issues will be sent directly to your inbox.

👉 Click here to sign up

Lightbulb moment

YES, £60 to change a light bulb makes a good headline ("Cleaning firm is accused of charging £60 to change bulbs", The Herald, May 29) but is a bit unfair on the service company carrying out the work That £60 covers the overheads, the office staff support, the people who come out to do job, the van they come in, the tools they use, their national insurance payments, their wages and no doubt other hidden costx in running a business.

Perhaps the headline should have been about why they were obliged to call someone out to do a simple task they could do themselves. A typical modern cost of health and safety rules overkill?

Douglas Jardine, Bishopbriggs.

Read more: Lorna Slater should listen to the wisdom of Herald readers

The stellar Selling

I AM saddened by Sunday's retirement of the incomparable Jeff Stelling of Sky Sports.

For decades programmes coming up from London only highlighted the Old Firm. Gradually they mentioned the bigger Premiership clubs. Scottish football fans were second-class citizens. That was before the arrival of Jeff, with his encyclopaedic knowledge of Scottish football.

His sympathy for little clubs derived from his own genuine love of hometown club Hartlepool. He would interrupt a discussion on Manchester City or Arsenal if Hartlepool had scored, adding considerably to the fun.

But he would speak knowledgeably of smaller Scottish clubs. This had been unheard of.

He will be much missed. "Unbelievable, Jeff!" indeed.

John Lloyd, Inverkeithing.

A blue do

YOUR heading "Green and blue?" on Rod MacCowan's letter (May 27) reminded me of a friend who, on the day Celtic won the Scottish Premiership, found a wallet in a taxi. The wallet contained £700 in cash, and personal details. On phoning the owner, my friend was told to take £100 as a reward. The owner then said: "Hang on, are you green or blue?". "Blue," was the answer. "Then take £40," said the still-paralytic celebrant.

Life in Glasgow.

David Miller, Milngavie.

Don't ask us...

WHEN I collected my Herald from the local newsagent this morning, I couldn’t stop myself from having a wry smile at Mark Smith’s front page teaser, "Why Lorna Slater should listen to wisdom of Herald readers", since it is my experience that those who subscribe to your Letters Pages have such diverse views on most subjects, that we couldn’t be trusted to put together the ingredients for a punch bowl at a party.

Francis Deigman, Erskine.