Talk of the Town: ‘Queen’ takes a dig at the trams

IT might seem like a long time since the Queen took her throne but for traders in the West End, it seems like an eternity since the roads were first dug up for the trams.

Printing shop Copymade, in West Maitland Street, hasn’t exactly made a secret of its less-than-full support for the project.

So to honour Liz’s 60 years of loyal service to the nation, Copymade owner Grant McKeeman asked Her Majesty for a few words. She replied: “One thinks that great hole was here when I had my Silver Jubilee.”

As a royal seal of approval, Grant’s placed the words, in a speech bubble extending from the Queen’s mouth, in his shop window.

Ian desperate to book spot at hottest table in town

GETTING a table in this town during August can be difficult, of that there’s no doubt.

Restaurants across the Capital are often a stressful place to find yourself, unless of course you’re the one who’s coining it in.

A roaring trade is exactly what Michelin-starred celebrity chef Tom Kitchin can expect come Festival season, with diners already queuing up with three months’ notice. And it seems it doesn’t matter who you are, if you’re not on the list you’re not coming in.

There’s no cutting corners as proven by Ian Rankin last week when he tweeted Tom to ask “how far ahead should I book for a table in August?”

Fraser’s buzzing again

HE’S no stranger to awards and it looks like he’s set to scoop another as he prepares to stick his latest product on the shelves.

SuperJam founder Fraser Doherty has become one of the finalists in Ben & Jerry’s Join Our Core competition, which looks for sustainable businesses helping to make a difference in communities, with his business proposal of SuperHoney.

The city entrepreneur is buzzing at the prospect. He said: “I was really excited to learn about Fairtrade on a trip to Uganda and winning the competition would make it possible for us to launch SuperHoney – putting beehives into schools, to teach kids about bees.”

Say yes to no cruelty

BRITAIN’S Got Talent judge Alesha Dixon has dropped this column a line which asks for “the people of Edinburgh to join her and give up one day of their lives to end cruelty to animals”.

So, if you weren’t cruel to animals today, well done, and it’s a “yes” from Alesha.