Talk of the Town: Hard pressed to find gift

GETTING a Valentine’s gift can be a difficult business, so in case there are any struggling romantics still shopping, The Centre in Livingston has helpfully revealed the gifts that women most definitely do not want.

Plastic jewellery and tickets to the football are out, and if you’re getting your loved one lingerie make sure it’s the right size. Top of the hate list, however, is something surely no man would consider a suitable gift to declare his love – an ironing board.

Politicians go flat out to win race

Politicians, it seems, find it hard to do even the most basic of jobs without causing controversy.

The masters of spin can’t even get through a simple pancake race without a scandal, after the annual Westminster pancake race between MPs, political hacks and the Lords ended with allegations of cheating.

Edinburgh’s own Ian Murray was implicated in throwing a pancake into the face of a competitor. Ben Duckworth, editor of Total Politics magazine, was the offended party and after taking to Twitter to ask “who flung it?”, Mr Murray replied simply: “Oops”.

But fellow Edinburgh MP and race competitor Mike Crockart, right, came to his defence, saying: “Allegations of cheating completely unfounded . . .”

Kilts steal the show at Baftas

Edinburgh School of Art graduates Will Anderson and Ainslie Henderson, who picked up the best short animation award at the Baftas for The Making of Longbird, were complimented on their kilts by stars George Clooney and Daniel Day Lewis. Will said: “I think they wished they were wearing kilts too.”

Talk of the Town thinks a lot of people wish they’d been wearing kilts too, perhaps in a high wind . . .

Black day for the trams

The Capital’s tram system has earned it a “dishonourable” mention in the latest Urban Dictionary, stating: “If you see a tram in Edinburgh you might want to check that you are not in Blackpool, as they have been trying, and failing, to build a tram system since about the same time they threw the castle up.”