Talk of the Town: Marriage proposal ends in a bear hug

EARLIER this week panda keepers at Edinburgh Zoo moved to boost the libidos of the fuzzy pair by setting the mood with special lighting. As yet no panda love has been reported, but the romantic conditions could be having some effect on zoo visitors.

On Friday Tian Tian bore witness to a marriage proposal right in front of her enclosure.

The lady in question said yes, but Talk of the Town wonders whether she had been bewitched by the mood lighting designed to play to the pandas’ amorous tendencies.

Car is a good runner

MARATHON man Mark Cooper is very happy pounding the streets in his trainers – in 2010 he ran from Amsterdam to Barcelona to raise money for Edinburgh Headway.

But he’ll be resting his feet on his latest venture, as he turns chauffeur for his dad. The runner won a competition run by Peter Vardy to get the use of a new car for three months, after describing his ultimate car journey. He said he’d like to give his dad the best three chauffeur-driven months of his life and take him around Scotland, because he had never learned to drive and rarely ventures outside Edinburgh.

Mr Cooper Sr will just have to cross his fingers that Mark doesn’t succumb to temptation and run off over the mountain tops for a quick 50-mile dash en route.

A cool treat for your dog

WE’VE all heard about the cat that got the cream, but the dog who got the ice cream is a new one.

Dobbies Garden World has launched the UK’s first iced treat for mutts. The range, called Billy and Margot, will include two flavours – strawberry and apple and apple, banana and carrot.

Creator Marie Swale developed the product because her pet black Labrador, Billy, used to rush to meet the ice cream van each day.

We’re sure pooches everywhere will be welcoming this addition to their dog’s dinner.

We’re top of the fops

WHILE It might not beat Milan for the weather, or the cuisine, or the football, it seems the Capital’s fashionistas are at least doing their best to pip the Italian city to top spot in the clothing stakes.

New research has revealed that on average people in the capital have around £1083 worth of clothes in their wardrobe – with some admitting they have more than £3000 worth of designer clobber just sitting around.

The survey comes from no less an expert on clothing storage than IKEA – which also discovered 30 per cent of locals were bored with the clothes they had. Perhaps they simply need a bigger wardrobe?