Talk of the Town: Surfin' squirrel has drey in winter sun

OVER the past year, Twitter has given voice to parts of Edinburgh that people otherwise wouldn't have given much thought to.

Following the exciting news that one of Anthony Gormley's sculptures had started tweeting - mainly about how lonely he was - comes news of the latest city dweller to take to cyber-space, the Meadows Squirrel.

As you might expect, the musings of a squirrel at this time of year tend towards nuts. The animal has already requested that Grant Stott leave some nuts and nibbles by the stage door of the King's Theatre, and mention that its discarded nut shells are helping to grit Middle Meadow Walk.

Local followers will no doubt be eager to find out the rodent's views on a more seasonal form of wildlife when The Lady Boys of Bangkok return next year.

That combination of minister and bagman

DO the budget cuts mean the Scottish Government has run out of civil service bag carriers?

We only ask because poor old Transport Minister Keith Brown - or former Marine Keith Brown to give him his full name - was pictured lugging his own as the cameras recorded his overnight vigil as Transport Scotland battled the elements.

Rumours that the bag was thrust into his hands as the cameras started rolling by his PR team are, of course, scurrilous.

Chews sponsor carefully

EDINBURGH Rugby this week stuck with tradition in unveiling their latest multi-coloured strip for the annual two leg Greaves Sports-sponsored Magner's League encounters with Glasgow Warriors.

While some will regard the creation as equivalent to an explosion in a paint factory, one of Edinburgh's own stars has made his view plain by confiding that it "makes us players look like a packet of Opal Fruits".

Now, might there be a sponsorship deal to be brokered involving the confectionery firm's logo appearing somewhere on the jersey?

Bob sleighs us again

HE has already found fame thanks to his, um, "unique" interpretation of Michael Jackson's Thriller, and now Robert the Moose has stolen Christmas.

In the specially created video-card posted on YouTube, the troublesome Edinburgh University Students Association mascot steals Santa's sleigh, with all the presents inside, before flying off.

The film was created to wish everyone a "Merry Christ-moose", so presumably Robert will be returning the sleigh to its rightful owner.