Talk of the Town: Enjoying a Bolly good time at the Balmoral

Published on Tuesday 8 December 2009 08:52

DID someone mention the word 'recession'?

Certainly not at the five-star Balmoral Hotel, where Champagne and oysters are going down faster than a banker's bonus.

Its sedate and quaint Palm Court area – where high teas are still served to folk with 21 to spare, or 33.50 if they prefer a glass of bubbly to wash their scones down – recently relaunched Scotland's only Bollinger Bar, dishing up the very same "Bolly" champers that was once merrily quaffed by those doyennes of excess, Ab Fab's Patsy and Edina.

And what better when times are hard but to accompany that fizz with a few wallet-busting Loch Fyne oysters?

Prices for a bottle of the Balmoral Bolly start at 95 – a snip when compared to the 450 bottle Bollinger Vielle Vignes on the menu.

It's almost as if the collapse of the world banking system and global economic downturn never happened.

Freezing wintry conditions are snow fun for Mercedes

FANS of Edinburgh Zoo's former favourite, Mercedes the polar bear, will be intrigued to find out how she reacted to the first snowfall at her new home in the Highland Wildlife Park at Kingussie.

The zoo reveals: "Her reaction was not as exciting as we may have hoped! Rather than playing in the fresh snow, as we would expect the penguins to do, Mercedes decided to find the warmest and least snowy spot in her enclosure, and to sit out the cold snap right there!"

Obviously her years in Scotland's tropics have turned Mercedes into a southern softie.

Saint Rick in giving mood

HAVE you ever wondered what city councillors get up to in their spare time? A round of golf, perhaps, or a leisurely walk around their local wards, admiring their handiwork?

Not for Councillor Ricky Henderson.

The Labour member for Pentland Hills is giving up his spare time to become Santa's little helper.

He will be jumping on board the sleigh and delivering presents to children as part of the Currie, Balerno and District Round Table's annual charity Christmas appeal.

A Caribbean conundrum

ANSWERS on a postcard to this conundrum. Evening News journalist Sandra Dick was puzzled to receive a postcard at home from Jamaica.

The address was correct, but the message began "Dear Joyce and Irene" so clearly wasn't meant for her.

So what, you say? Obviously someone just got the address wrong. Well, here's the bit that's much harder to explain – the postcard was signed by someone called . . . Sandra Dick.

Meanwhile, should Joyce and Irene be wondering how their friend Sandra's enjoying her trip to Jamaica, it seems she's having a grand old time.