September 1.

Picture, if you will, a lovely sunny afternoon in Glasgow's Buchanan

Street pedestrian precinct. A large crowd of tourists, shoppers,

workers, and assorted natives are standing enthralled.

Two young musicians, both blind, are performing -- the boy on

keyboard, the girl with the voice of an angel.

Passers-by stop in surprise, taken aback by the wonderful sound and

there is a never-ending stream of coins being dropped into their box.

Old ladies ask for repeats of particular songs and young, blase boys in

jeans and earrings gaze wonderingly. So continental; Glasgow at its most

generous, wonderful best, I think to myself.

But the show isn't over till the fat lady arrives. And arrive she did,

red-faced, waving a buff envelope and with a reluctant policeman in tow.

The disbelief and anger was almost palpable, particularly as the young

couple were quite unaware of what was about to happen. They were stopped

in mid-song to boos and angry shouts.

Elspeth Russell,

159 Main Street,

Uddingston.