Readers' Best Comments

The Au Bar beer garden in Shandwick Place is closing after the proprietor failed to agree a financial settlement with local residents who own the land it's on – they wanted 15,000 for 'four years' illegal occupation', followed by a small rent.

Well done residents, I have yet to see an area that is improved by having a public house, a licensed restaurant or club open in an area.

(-_-)

And where would you like to see all the bars/clubs/restaurants then?

Monkey shines!

Turn it back into the rat- infested, litter-strewn dump it once was. Pretty sure the residents will love that, it's just greed in trying to get money for nothing.

JamboMowg

I beg your pardon. I never promised you a beer garden.

digestive biscuits V

That space was not used at all by the residents and was regularly used as an outside toilet/litter bin. I hope the council will now take action against them if they allow the "garden" to fall into disrepair – after all, they have made their ownership known.

jams

Beer garden was stretching it, but it did keep the smokers off the street. The land wasn't used for anything before, it's a shame that it will no doubt revert back to it's previous "glory". I can understand the residents wanting to legalise the ownership, but 15,000 to carry on using it is a bit steep.

Amaretto

Busybody residents. A small piece of wasteland turned into a place used by many people will now revert back to a small patch of nothing.

McGlashan1

Talking of closures, the council plans to shut six community centres, saving 120,000, but two of these are very cheap to run. So what does our online community think?

It's as bad as the BBC wanting to shut 6 Music when it costs buttons compared to the other crud they produce.

Randan

Sorry but the taxpayers cannot fund EVERY council service – cutbacks must be made END OF!

Big T

We pay for enough in this city, are all these centres really needed?

The Real Alfonsa Pedrosa

"Number of Lothian patients made ill by drinking rockets" was our headline over the news that one patient every 90 minutes is discharged from hospital with a drink-related condition …

Why do people drink rockets?

roadstohell

To get high? Painful experience, drinking rockets. They tend to get stuck in the throat.

Bobw

Hardy har-har – so, any non-comedians in the house?

This is ridiculous. It's about time they invented a type of alcohol that doesn't cause any health damage. In this day and age we should be able to anaesthetise ourselves from life without any fear of liver damage, absolutely ridiculous.

rob hadnum,

Apparently there aren't. Moving on, outwith Edinburgh – by some margin – a Russian chimp has been sent to rehab by zookeepers to cure the smoking and beer-drinking habits he has picked up. Apparently he kept pestering passers-by for booze.

Reminds me of Nicolson Square . . .

Mince Pie Supper