Talk of the Town: Stings can only get better for our Greg

But on one of his more genteel excursions at Edinburgh University’s Pollock Halls yesterday, News snapper Greg Macvean came a cropper while picturing the installation of some beehives.

The 33-year-old was ambushed by a particularly quarrelsome stinger which targeted his hand.

“Luckily, it wasn’t my trigger finger,” he said.

Cam on down, lads

DAVID Cameron is said to be keen to play down the significance of Monday’s signing of what Alex Salmond sees as a historic agreement on handing Holyrood the power needed to hold the independence referendum.

If so, the Prime Minister’s message does not seem to have had much impact at the BBC.

Insiders say the Beeb is busy constructing a temporary studio at St Andrew’s House and plans to broadcast from there from 6am until after 11pm on Monday, keeping viewers and listeners throughout the UK up to date on what could become the first step towards the break-up of Britain.

Fright on queue

HISTORIC Scotland is on rather a ghoulish path on the run up to Hallowe’en having apparently launched its own “fright night” event at Linlithgow Palace.

The nation’s watchdog is daring visitors to attend the palace – the birth place of Mary, Queen of Scots – as night falls, where they can hear about the darker side of monument’s past.

“Come if you dare...” reads the blurb, with a quote from events manager Alison Stalker saying it is “definitely not suitable for young children and is an evening full of surprises which you won’t forget in a hurry”.

Fearless readers can attend the event today, tomorrow and October 19 and 20.

No time for arrest up there

THERE aren’t many jobs that involve wading into punch-ups and the occasional high-octane car chase, but it appears even that isn’t enough excitement for some Lothian police officers who are about to embark on a hair-raising challenge in their spare time.

A team of six bobbies are set to climb the Forth Road Bridge, before freefall abseiling 165 feet back down in an SAS-style descent.

They’re taking on the challenge for children’s charity Place2Be.

At TOTT, we offer them the best of luck, and to prove it we’ll even offer a free plug – http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/lothianandborderspolice