Talk of the Town

Published on Thursday 14 January 2010 10:10

Rowling casts (bad) spell on collector

IT SEEMS wizard writer JK Rowling can do no wrong, even when making mistakes.

A rare "uncorrected proof" edition of the first Harry Potter book in which the author's name is spelled wrongly has just sold for 1,600 at auction.

The plain-covered Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone – written by a "JA Rowling", was snapped up by a collector at the Capital's Lyon & Turnbull auction house yesterday.

The copy was one of a handful sent to critics and booksellers around the UK to build up interest, after publishers Bloomsbury paid Rowling an advance of just 1,500. The book, which also contains spelling mistakes and grammatical errors, was famously written on an old manual typewriter in coffee shops around the Capital.

Readers looking for mistooks in the Evening News will, of course, find very few . . . and we doubt those that are there will add to the value of back issues in the future.

Snowball troubles leave Braid Hills golfers teed off

GOLFERS have been easing their frustrations on the local practice ranges while courses remain closed.

But just when they thought things couldn't get much worse, Edinburgh's Braid Hills Centre has been closing early this week because too many balls have become buried in snowdrifts and are unable to be recovered by the tractor used to replenish stocks.

Fortunately, by the time you read this, normal service will have been resumed, callers at the centre are being told.

Twitter's nut for everyone

AS THE general election approaches, political parties are keen to make the most of all the latest forms of communication – websites, blogs, texting and Twitter. The politicians hope it's a way of getting their message across to the younger generation – and it also gives them a chance to show how switched on they are.

But Twitter, in particular, has not met with universal enthusiasm. One senior politician is not impressed by the "inane" chatter that is produced and has vowed never to tweet, saying: "I prefer the voters not to think I'm a nutter."

Make a date with the mail

WHEN is an important looking letter not so. That's the question posed by one Newington resident. Currently waiting for some urgent legal documents, he rushed to the mail box recently after seeing the postman drop off a big bundle of post.

Sifting through the assorted junk mail and bills, he found an impressive and expensive looking envelope.

But opening it he instead found a 2010 calendar from the Conservatives promoting the local party and wishing him well for the year ahead.

So it wasn't the legal papers he was expecting but at least he could mark the fact they hadn't arrived as expected on his new handy calendar.