Talk of the Town: I beg your Parton. Dolly wants to sing with SuBo?

Published on Monday 8 February 2010 10:16

Raise your glasses to an honest off-licence

A wrap on the knuckles for selling to underage customers, noise complaints or antisocial behaviour is not exactly good PR.

But one upmarket wine and beer specialist should be credited for its more open approach.

The Evening News reported last week that Cornelius, on Easter Road, had its licence suspended for two weeks after twice failing the police's test purchasing scheme for underage drink sales.

But it appears owner James Wrobel is not one to hide away from his transgressions. Next to a note on the window of the shop telling customers that the shop is closed for a fortnight is a copy of the Evening News story, with the headline "I sold drink to underage kids . . I'm guilty as sin".

Quite a breath of fresh air. The shop reopens on 9 February.

THEY'RE both no stranger to a pair of eyebrow tweezers, and now Dolly Parton and West Lothian warbler Susan Boyle may be set to share a mic.

Nashville's busty country queen has revealed she would love to do a duet with Blackburn's hairy angel if Simon Cowell can arrange an appearance on Britain's Got Talent or The X Factor.

"There has been talk of appearing on one of the shows but it hasn't worked out yet," said Parton. "But I love that Susan Boyle – what an amazing story.

"Would I like to duet with her? Sure, if she'd have me. But all those long notes she does, I don't think I could keep up with her."

The Lost Angeles Times

YOU'VE got to admire the Los Angeles Times' grasp of Scotland's quaint geography.

Reporting on the recent birth of a white rhino in Scotland, the paper stated: "Blair Drummond Safari Park north of Edinburgh was alerted to the impending birth by a phone call from the woman thousands of miles away in Cyprus who was watching the rhino enclosure on the internet."

We bet even the woman in Cyprus knew where the park is – 40 miles north-west of Edinburgh. Near Stirling.

The key to a happy customer

IT'S a scenario that would fill any business traveller with dread.

Businessman Hafiz Hamzah returned to Aberdeen from Edinburgh on the train only to find that he had left his car keys behind. He thought that he was facing a 250 bill to replace them – only to be told by staff at Fraser Suites, on St Giles' Street, that they would courier them up to him straight away.

Heather Gilchrist, regional general manager for Frasers Hospitality Scotland, said: "We were only too happy to return his keys to him."

Now that's service.