Stop your bickering, Jock

I AM writing in response to Martin J Murray's recent letter ''High cost of an evening out'' (South China Morning Post, February 22).

I recall during my own distant days of courting that it was every gentlemen's intention to show a lady a good time, regardless of cost.

I should stress, however, that it was most certainly not our intention to impress our companions merely with the size of our wallet. I find it a tragedy that such traditional values have not filtered down to younger generations.

Confronted with such shabby treatment I would fully understand if his companion called it a day after just two drinks.

I should also like to address the tone of Mr Murray's correspondence, particularly the closing sentence. I find it difficult to understand why time and again fellow Scots take it upon themselves to embarrass their countrymen by indulging in such ill tempered shows of petty nationalism. C. HEPBURN Happy Valley