John Gibson: Elephants can forget those buns

No more trunk calls. The Government plans to outlaw travelling circuses by 2015. They’re against people gawping at wild animals – exotic creatures – in degrading environments. Travelling circuses will be axed.

Zoos predictably must be concerned. They will be prime targets in the Government’s firing line. Among the bodies backing their intention is the Born Free Foundation, campaigning to see zoos disappear.

But what about the kiddies, I can hear parents wail? What becomes of the traditional day out at the zoo? That was in days gone by when admission wasn’t so pricey. Now they see more than enough of the animals on television, the cynics will argue.

So what of Edinburgh Zoo? For sure, the Capital’s house-builders must be rubbing their hands. Fortunes are to be made building properties on them thar Corstorphine hills, where buns have been tossed through the ages.

Curt out the sax

We have a guest reviewer here today, namely myself at the Queen’s Hall, checking out Curtis Stigers. I try not to miss any of his Edinburgh gigs and on Monday he didn’t miss the chance to plug his new album, released that day as it happened.

Inevitably the programme drew predominantly on its tracks, among them “one of the saddest songs ever written” in Let’s Go Out Tonight. But the near-capacity audience showed what they craved in the hand-clapper All That Matters.

There was, too, Dylan’s Things Have Changed and Richard Thompson’s Waltzes For Dreamers. Altogether a musicianly night from Stigers and his new band comprising mainly native Americans. But maybe time he blew less sax, dropped the band and sells himself as a solo vocal act. He’s good at it.