Talk of the Town: Few Home truths about councillors

THE pool of 58 councillors representing the residents of Edinburgh brings together people from all walks of life.

After complaining that people often get the wrong idea about them, housing leader Paul Edie has revealed some of the more unusual things some councillors did in a former life.

Lib Dem Elaine Morris, who represents the Forth ward, used to be a press officer for the Queen. SNP Inverleith councillor Stuart McIvor also has links to the Queen, as one of her bodyguards. Culture leader Deidre Brock has no links to the Queen, although she was something of a queen of the stage, as a classically trained actress who has appeared on Home And Away.

Police observing the very letter of the law?

"When you mail a letter, you can send it anywhere.

On foot, by truck, or aeroplane, the postman gets it there.

So write a letter to your friend, maybe she'll write you.

No matter what you always know, the mail must go through."

The lyrics of this Disney song were probably in the mind of a Royal Mail van driver stopped at the entrance to Holyrood Park yesterday on grounds that commercial vehicles are prohibited.

A debate was ensuing with police as to whether Royal Mail enjoyed privileged entry, with Holyrood Park designated a royal park, after all.

Some fast thinking

Prime Minister David Cameron may think that multiculturalism has failed but an alternative view can be found amongst Edinburgh's cricket community.

A local competition due to take place a week after the start of Ramadan, which prohibits eating before sunset, has been moved so that the post-match nosh-up remains unaffected.

"I noticed last year that all four teams on finals day of the Activcity Trophy included several Asian players," writes the organiser, adding: "Since Ramadan starts on July 31, I am proposing to hold the finals day on July 31 instead of August 7."

Getting our house in order

Call us spoilt, but we're so used to Edinburgh coming top of the charts when it comes to quality of life and general lucky-to-be-alive-ness, we were downcast to see that the Capital had been named only ninth luckiest city in the UK by a national online bingo company.

It found that towns including Birmingham and Peterborough had beaten us in the good luck stakes. Perhaps we're just not playing enough bingo. Pass the dabber, and eyes down...