Talk of the Town: Sign of disrespect for city authority

Just days after the completion of work on Princes Street Gardens, the unpredictable Scottish weather threw up a balmy weekend which saw hundreds flock to the area.

This photograph, which was taken on Saturday, shows how futile any attempts were to keep people off the grass . . .

Derren hasn't a trance of getting his hotel wish

"MINDREADER" and hypnotist Derren Brown returns to the Capital next month on the back of sell-out Playhouse performances in March.

The Trick of the Mind star wowed a 3,000-strong crowd each night and, despite steeling himself for a "tough" evening, enjoyed an atmosphere he described as the "most enthusiastic response of any venue".

Shame that his visit was tarnished by the experience at his hotel. For Mr Brown comments on his blog that Malmaison in Edinburgh was letting "the side down royally.

It seems his use of " suggestion, psychology, misdirection and showmanship" held little sway with hotel staff as he angled for a post-performance snack in the bar. He was saddened to be rebuffed and told that his entourage and he must eat in their rooms.

Shopping the TV addicts

IT seems we just can't get enough of the box in the corner.

According to the latest survey to come into the Evening News, more than one in ten people would rather give up their partner than their TV.

Around 51 per cent admitted they simply couldn't live without TV and a quarter said they used the television for shopping.

And where did the research come from? Shopping channel, QVC.

The art of misdirection

EDINBURGH Marathon organisers obviously felt that running 26 miles wasn't interesting enough and decided to spice things up a bit.

Most of the signs along the Seafield Road stretch advised runners to keep left, which would have resulted in them having to dodge traffic coming up the left-hand lane.

Luckily, all of the runners eschewed the lemming-run in favour of the clearly marked runners' lane . . . on the right.