Talk of the Town: Sought after scrawl value surely surreal

Published on Thursday 15 July 2010 13:29

THE success of the Harry Potter novels has made JK Rowling rich beyond the dreams of avarice - and now it seems everything she touches turns to gold.

The Edinburgh author's autograph is reportedly one of the most sought after in the world, outselling those of Michael Jackson and Muhammad Ali, valued at 1200.

Even given her huge global fame, however, it seems hard to believe the claim from memorabilia specialists Paul Fraser Collectibles that her scrawl is more valuable than that of surrealist master Salvador Dali, whose oil paintings - authenticated by his signature - sell for millions.

Capital right up your street

GIVEN its status as one of the UK's most important cities, you might think residents of west Berkshire would be glad to have a connection with the Capital.

It turns out, though, that's not the case, with locals up in arms over proposals to name several new streets after the Scottish universities and colleges where the engineers of the Kennet and Avon Canal studied - namely Heriot, Napier, Caledonia, Melville, Dundas and Watson.

The local council decided on the names having apparently already used every local celebrity moniker to identify streets, although that explanation didn't wash with one resident, who said: "We have just got rid of a Scottish Prime Minister, so why we are getting all these Scottish names I don't know."

Jazz club is off key

IN A city with so many nightspots, it can be a hard job getting yourself noticed.

Even so, extra sympathy must surely be extended to the new managers of the Rat Pack Piano Bar. Having closed down to carry out an extensive refurbishment, they were all set for a big media launch. The invitations were sent out by e-mail, promising a chance to tour the venue, enjoy the new plush interior, and sip swish cocktails while listening to the best live jazz in town.

The only problem? No-one thought to include a date or time.

Chicken puzzle is no yolk

IT IS a question which has puzzled scientists, philosophers and pub-goers for centuries: which came first, the chicken or the egg?

Now an Edinburgh super computer called Hector (or High End Computing Terascale Resource) has come up with the answer, as part of a scientific study into how eggs are made. According to the machine, chickens must have come first, as eggs are created by a material only found in a chicken's ovaries.

It has not yet been confirmed whether Hector has now set his sight on a grander question: just why did the chicken cross the road?