Talk of the Town: Hogmanay hit for film director Walid

THEY come from all corners of the globe to celebrate Hogmanay in Edinburgh, but this year the majesty of our city was screened in homes across the world at the click of a button.

Film director Walid Salhab – a Queen Margaret University lecturer whose previous work was honoured at a festival in Las Vegas – posted his latest flick, Kinetic Edinburgh II, on YouTube just a few days before the end of 2012, and enjoyed millions of hits as the clock struck midnight on December 31.

The film, shot using a ground-breaking time-lapse technique, contains footage of the Capital over Christmas.

Walid said: “I had already received a few hits, but on Hogmanay the viewing counter suddenly went mad. I couldn’t believe that so many people were watching my footage.

“If I had one pound for every viewing I would be a millionaire and could more than afford to finance my next film.”

It’s enough to drive you round the clockwise bend

ONE of Twitter’s qualities is that it allows fans to take their queries and comments straight to their sporting heroes.

And while athletes are often accused of skirting around the main issues, credit must go to Sir Chris Hoy after social networker @s9dno asked: “Why do u cycle anti-clockwise in the velodrome #curious.”

The cycling superstar responded with fascinating insight: “Because otherwise I would crash into the other guys.”

Make mincemeat of rivals

IT’S the staple of any self-respecting football fan’s diet – and now the best Scotch pie in the world is set to be crowned.

The Scotch Pie Club, which no doubt serves pints of Bovril at the bar, has attracted a record number of entries for its annual awards, with some 500 pies, pasties, sausage rolls, bridies and savouries in the competition.

The winner will be announced tomorrow during a glittering and – probably – greasy ceremony in Dunfermline.

Sweet for Sugar wannabes

EVER wanted to go into business for yourself? Well, you’re certainly amongst like-minded folk.

Edinburgh has been declared the UK’s 12th most entrepreneurial town, with would-be Alan Sugars tipped to thrive in the Capital.

The results were compared with the population of each town to calculate the number of new businesses forming per thousand people, with Edinburgh producing one-and-a-half times as many start-ups as expected.