Talk of the Town: Football fans aim to make Harry a hit

HE'S an iconic musician who died two years before the launch of British Single Charts.

But six decades on, a concerted internet campaign is under way to get Portobello crooner Harry Launder into the top 40.

Birmingham City fans, whose club anthem is the Lauder classic Keep Right on to the End of the Road, are flooding football forums with excited talk about giving Harry a posthumous hit.

Having started life as a fanciful joke, the quirky brainwave has gathered steam and is attracting widespread interest ahead of the English League Cup final against Arsenal on Sunday, February 27.

Police take to stage in fight against doorstep criminals

POLICE in West Lothian are taking an unusual approach to warning the elderly about doorstep criminals - by staging plays.

In an initiative run by both the police and West Lothian Council, the Baldy Bane Theatre Company will be performing several plays showing vulnerable groups how to be wary if unfamiliar callers come to the door.

At least since The Bill was taken off our screens there'll be no shortage of "resting" actors ready to play the criminals.

'Abandoned' dog back home

GOOD news for a dog who was taken to the SSPCA's rescue centre at Balerno, after being reported "abandoned" by a member of the public.

The female cross breed was seen tied to railings on Gray's Loan by a passer-by, who took her to a local vet and she was then collected by the SSPCA.

After appealing for help to reunite her with her family, the SSPCA were contact by her very relieved owners - they had left her outside a shop while they went in and found her gone when they came back out. Looks like the well-meaning passer-by will be the one in the dog house.

Quip is right on the money

When it comes to council budget debates, almost every single councillor wants to have their say.

So even although every opposition councillor in the City Chambers knows that there is almost zero chance of defeating the administration proposals, the debate can still be rather lengthy.

So credit to Tory councillor Jason Rust, who used his opportunity to speak last week as an opportunity to introduce a bit of humour.

He said the Tories had offered to work with the administration to help draw up their budget, then quipped: "When you offer this administration a penny for their thoughts you get change."