On your guard if Doddy's about, Hilary

Published on Wednesday 12 March 2008 08:12

YOU'VE got to have the stomach for it. There's no more exposed tum in town than Hilary Thacker's. She has a bazaar on George IV Bridge where she promotes her profession, belly dancing Egyptian-style.

She's just had 200 Iraqis all a-quiver at the Next Generation Club, Newhaven, and she'll have them back, from Edinburgh and Glasgow in October after Ramadan.

"Belly dancing's still their thing," says Hilary. "They live in Edinburgh and Glasgow, so watching me makes them feel at home."

Her belly's her fortune. She has clinched a plum gig at Blackpool's famous Winter Gardens on June 15. The Belly Dance Superstars from America, who performed here in the Queen's Hall two years ago, are the big attraction for holidaymakers and they've asked her to join them and help them teach the art.

Meantime, she has another DVD out, Hilary Live – Belly Dancing Round the World. I've warned her to watch what she's about in Blackpool. Ken Dodd is usually at large there around June and a bare belly must be a prime target for his tickling stick.

Brittany fears

Is this the answer to Edinburgh's binge boozing blight? Similarly afflicted, the city fathers in Rennes, capital of Brittany, are buying up its bars so they can close and convert them into restaurants, DVD shops or whatever.

The spectacle of frazzled French youths – predominantly students from the town's two universities – staggering through the streets, tanking up from bottles, has sparked the clamp-down. Supermarkets predictably are rubbing their hands.

Here in Edinburgh publicans say they soon won't need their arms twisted to sell up, trade's tailing off by the day. Have you seen the price of a pint and a packet of crisps? Or of a gallon of Calvados and a frogs legs burger?

Afterwords . .

. . . Mr Nice Guy Nicolas Cage coming clean: "I have never been arrested for anything in my life, nor have I stolen a dog. I am reaching out to my fans – many of whom are children – so that they know I do not condone drunk driving or theft. The reason why you've never seen a mug shot of me is because it does not exist." Relax Nic, we believe you.