Talk of the Town: Rowdy students guilty by degrees

AS a protester at a tuition fees demonstration begins a jail sentence for throwing a fire extinguisher off a building, it is interesting to be reminded that student misadventure is nothing new; albeit everything is a matter of, er, degree.

A new book on the life and times of residents of Dalrymple Crescent, previewed in the latest Grange Association newsletter, indicates that one George Sibley Hicks, a medic at Edinburgh University, was reported in The Scotsman newspaper of 1883 to have been involved with "a number of noisy youths". They had gone to the Theatre Royal "with the intention of creating a disturbance - singing and shouting and then throwing peas and gravel on the heads of the people in the seats below".

All the youths were arrested but there is no mention in the book of the eventual charge . . . breach of the peas, perhaps?

Jamie wears Cologne

HE might not be the most obvious person to choose to promote a new air route between Cologne and Edinburgh, but it seems Jamie Barr, a former World's Strongest Man finalist, is grabbing attention.

Mr Barr has had his picture emblazoned on massive advertising pillars across Cologne in recent weeks, alongside the words "Schottland: Willkommen in unserem leben", which means "Scotland: welcome to our life".

The VisitScotland ads featuring Fifer Jamie, wearing a kilt and holding a caber, are said to be doing the trick.

"It's funny to think of the reaction of shoppers across Cologne coming face to face with me and my caber," says Jamie.

Grin and bear it, Hibbies

THE pursuit of Hibs striker Colin Nish by Chinese Super League outfit Tianjin Teda is causing some amusement among the Tynecastle faithful.

"I see the Chinese are after Nish," says one Gorgie wag. "Apparently they want to swap him for a giant panda - at least the panda would be quicker."

Get a teacher, not a Doctor

AN online petition has been started by Australian fans of Doctor Who to see a DVD produced of the forthcoming London stage production of Much Ado About Nothing, due to star Bathgate-born ex-Time Lord David Tennant and TV assistant Catherine Tate.

Given that the e-mail they sent to drum up support referred to the "Royal Shakespear company", we think the educational benefits of such a DVD would be huge. Quite apart from the fact that the RSC has nothing to do with the production.