Talk of the Town: It moose be hot in there for uni mascot

BEING a mascot is a pretty toasty business. Wearing the big furry costume, striding about, waving - all those onerous duties can make the poor human inside just a wee bit hot and sweaty.

So spare a thought for whoever is giving life to Robert the Moose, mascot of the Edinburgh University Students Association.

To celebrate Hallowe'en, Robert has joined members of the uni's Modern Dance Society to perform an impressively accurate version of Michael Jackson's Thriller dance.

The only thing it's really lacking is the fear factor. It's just not quite the same in the hands (or feet?) of a six-foot moose.

To enjoy it yourself, see www.youtube.com/user/eusalive.

Fat's a bit below the belt in political rivals' jibes

THERE may be six months to go until the Holyrood elections, but the name calling between the parties is already well under way.

Alex Salmond dubbed Labour's Iain Gray the Invisible Man and said if Labour's shadow cabinet was a film it would have to be Night of the Living Dead.

On Saturday, at Labour's conference in Oban, shadow justice secretary Richard Baker hit back: "Well, Alex, perhaps yours should be Run Fatboy Run."

Fake That and party

SUCH has been the interest in Glasgow's upcoming Take That concert that one phone company reported a huge spike in calls as the ticket lines opened.

For anyone who missed out, however, there is now a local alternative - Fake That.

Billed as the number one Take That tribute act, the group will be performing in the Macdonald Marine Hotel & Spa on November 27.

It's a closing down wail

GETTING customers to drink up at the end of a night is a problem faced by bars across the Capital.

One city hostelry, however, has found an innovative way to handle the problem - a sing-along.

The Rat Pack Piano Bar has started playing Red Peter's Closing Song loud and clear in the Shandwick Place venue at 3am to signal the end of the night.

Since reopening in July, the song has become a firm favourite with the bar's patrons as they sing along as they leave.

Bar manager Nicole Feasby said: "In most bars, you see bouncers desperately trying to get their customers to make their way out but we've come up with a more popular alternative.

"Some people get a bit of a shock when they first hear it because it has a few swear words, but it's followed by laughter.

"There are really no issues with stragglers as they hear the song and know that it's time to leave."

As the song says, you don't have to go home but you can't stay here.