John Gibson: Maggie’s so grateful to the ladies

Loadsalolly from the ladies. A ‘’Ladies Love Lunch’’ fundraiser at the Sheraton for Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centres staggered the charity’s organisers.

The guests departed the hotel their purses noticeably lighter. Generosity in the extreme.

Says one of the organisers, Shona Langlands: “We had 500 guests, with tables at £550 each and, yes, the £41,532 raised was truly mind-blowing.

“The same event last year, with 250 guests, benefited Maggie’s by £23,000. Hardly needs saying that we are what you’d call gobsmacked.’’

Deejay Grant Stott had the ladies all to himself latterly. He hosted the show and wrapped it up with his parody of a Proclaimers hit.

Forty-one thousand! Sixty next year? Surely not!

Careful, Tiger

Prediction by golf nut Mario Cugini, owner of Bar Roma in Queensferry Street: “Five years from now he’ll beat Tiger Woods.’’

He was gurgling about Luca, his recently arrived grandson, presented by 36-year-old daughter Nadia DiGiorgio. She managed Bar Roma, where husband Ivano was a waiter. They married two years ago at Archerfield, East Lothian’s golfing spa.

Mario adds: “This is my second time as a grandad. Have you seen the pictures?”

Everybody must have seen the pictures. Tiger Woods must be worried. Coming to getcha.

Afterwords . .

. . . Never heard of him. Colm Toibin, writer. But he turned 57 the other day and he was up there, listed among the birthdays along with the great and the good. Hope he had a happy one. Put another candle on the cake.