Talk of the Town: 'I'm on the train . . might be a bit late'

But the news that greeted commuters heading home from Waverley Station on Wednesday evening suggested their journey would be considerably longer than they could ever have anticipated.

According to the electronic noticeboard, every train leaving the station would be heading to its final destination . . . via Aviemore.

Drew shows businesses that it's all in the mind

HE is a master mindreader who has been excluded from jury service lest his astonishing mental insight ruin the trial - and now he's going to teach businesses in the Capital some of his secrets.

Drew McAdam has already entertained the likes of Buzz Aldrin, Alice Cooper and the spoon-bender himself Uri Geller.

He is now offering businesses the chance to learn some of his skills, honed during a lifetime of studying human behaviour, to help them improve their fortunes.

During the sessions at the Hotel Novotel at Edinburgh Park, Mr McAdam has said he will "show you how the impossible can become a reality".

Presumably he already has a good idea who's going to show up.

Ladies form a scrum

IT is an event more closely associated with Royal Ascot and even Musselburgh races.

But Portobello rugby club's first East Regional league game of the season, against Dunbar at Cavalry Park tomorrow, has been designated "ladies' day".

A player explains: "We've invited all our women-folk along and for a tenner will supply them wine and something to eat on one condition . . . they have to wear a hat!"

Giving it big ticks

TIMES may be hard and the recession biting, but some folk seem to be doing okay.

In the week that Standard Life confirms 600 Edinburgh job losses, and RBS admits it is cutting 3500 jobs wordlwide, comes news that one of the world's poshest watchmakers, Philippe Patek, is preparing to launch its 2010 collection of timepieces at city jewellers Hamilton and Inches.

Earlier this year, the Swiss watchmaker beat its own record when one of its wristwatches was sold at auction in Geneva for a staggering 3.5 million.

In 1989, Patek made one of the most complex mechanical watches ever, the Calibre 89, which includes the key dates for decades to come.

Sadly it doesn't tell the precise time or date of when the first Edinburgh trams might run.