Talk of the Town: Revellers fan the flames in garden

But it seems even the five and half tonnes of pyrotechnics which lit up the sky wasn’t enough for some people, with small fireworks being set off across the city to bring in the New Year.

Of course, it’s not easy competing with such a monster display, although the hardy souls braving the wind and rain at Leith Links did their best with a few fizzing rockets.

Other amateurs fared rather less well, however, with one poor soul – who understandably wishes to remain anonymous – admitting: “We set off a sky lantern. It landed in the neighbour’s garden and started smouldering in his shrubs.”

Jackie’s feeling sick

A WEEK is a long time in politics – so they really should know that four years is a long time for everyone.

But that didn’t seem to get through to Labour health spokeswoman Jackie Baillie, who got herself in a bit of trouble yesterday by claiming yesterday that Scotland was the “Superbug Capital of Europe”, using figures from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre showing we were top of a league table for Healthcare Associated Infections.

A shocking state of affairs – but her call for SNP action backfired rather badly when it was pointed out that the findings were based on a survey published in 2007 – and using data gathered in 2005-06 when Labour was still in power. The SNP adds, for good measure, that since then Scotland has seen reductions of more than 70 per cent in both C.diff and MRSA.

George tracks a joke

LABOUR peer and former Lothians MSP George Foulkes teased his Twitter followers on Hogmanay by announcing he would welcome in 2012 in a cold but beautiful city with a castle on a hill and fireworks at midnight, but no it couldn’t be Edinburgh because “Have just travelled on a modern tram!”

The noble peer, we can reveal, was in Krakow.

A roasting for Rudolph

EVERYONE enjoys a good joke at Christmas – including local businesses.

And it seems the always imaginative staff at Broughton Street coffee house Artisan Roast are no different.

A local website reports that the team there did their bit for seasonal joy, by decorating their A-board with an illustration of Rudolph tied to a coffee machine, and the warning: “We’ve got Rudolph. No presents for anyone.”