John Gibson: Dofonately a unique corner shop

Dofonately and for sure. Dofos, one of our best known corner shop, is for sale. It’s been in Blenheim Place, at the Elm Row-London Road roundabout, since 1953, owner Denise Davidson is telling me.

Dofos has catered almost exclusively for dogs and cats. “Edinburgh has precious few businesses like ours,” she claims. “And we’re in an iconic, listed building. I’m in no great hurry to sell but I’m on the wrong side of 40 and I’d like to be involved in something different.

“Dofos will be missed. Not only the owners of dogs and cats are our regular customers, people habitually come in for the atmosphere, just to visit.

“Ideally I’d like the shop to stay in this line of business. Retailers round here, the wee shops, don’t want to see one of the supermarkets get their noses in the trough, so to speak.”

Denise has pets of her own – a ten-month-old Staffie pup and the two shop cats, one 21, the other three.

Going for a song

A likely story or, if you like, a salutary lesson in how to advertise that your personalised number plate is for sale and have it advertised for free.

Engelbert Humperdinck, still in hiding after his humiliating performance in the Euro Song Contest, has released this yarn. He’s trying to trace a bloke from the UAE who, having seen the swanky Rolls Royce parked at London’s Savoy, offered to buy the plate, EH1, for two million.

Engel, silly chap, lost the mystery man’s card. All he knows is that his surname is Hussein (will Mr Hussein or Mr Smith please stand up?)

If this tall tale has any substance, Engel, allow me to inform you that the EH1 plate rightly belongs to Edinburgh’s Lord Provost.