John Gibson: It's the place to be for their carols

Published on Friday 27 November 2009 08:40

ALL happening at the fit o' the Walk. Never mind what's going on uptown. The port's hub is where the seasonal singing can be heard from December 3 at 4pm, official starting time for the Leith Festival Christmas celebrations.

Sir Tom Farmer is expected to switch on the tree lights, and it's also hoped that Leith's own "mock provost" Margo MacDonald and a Hibernian contingent will be there.

Lorne Primary's choir will lead the carol singing around the tree and other schools will participate from December 9-15.

Mr Claus would have been involved but the sleigh will be fouled up by the trams.

Dozens of tram hard hats were toiling in the downpour and gales at the West End. We have to shudder at what we were paying them.

No half measures

What's the point of the Scottish government's campaign on alcohol (an alcohol-related death every three hours in Scotland) when MSPs blithely, gaily even, traipse down to Holyrood very much aware that supermarkets are practically giving booze away? Drink up and be buried!

Crushing blow

Can you believe it? America's Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is saying of our Foreign Secretary David Miliband: "If you saw him it would be a big crush. I mean, he is so vibrant, vital, attractive, smart. And he's so young."

See your analyst, Hillary.

Stop it now Andy

Andy Williams, in his seventh decade in showbiz, talking about the theatre he bought in Missouri's sticks, the perfect "ending" to his career: "I will die on this stage." No, Andy, more chance of you "dying" on stage at the Glastonbury Festival next summer, should you live that long. A suicidal gig if ever I've known one. Critics of his performances on his recent UK trip sympathised: "Poor old Andy. Dead but he won't lie down." It's a shame.

Afterwords . .

. . . from a decidedly disenchanted Michael Caine: "The socialists have had 12 years. I just want a bloody change. They're all on the fiddle. But let's have someone do something wrong differently."