Talk of the Town: SuBo's found the fame . . and now she's in the frame

In case she needs a reminder, she might want to nip on to eBay, where a unique portrait of her has been created by American artist Dan Lacey.

He has become something of a cult celebrity himself for painting pictures of world leaders and celebrities such as Michael Jackson with pancakes on their heads, and other irreverent topics.

True to form, his portrait of SuBo sees the West Lothian singer performing a duet with her beloved cat Pebbles - and the moggy even has it's own little microphone.

The painting is on sale for around 13, meaning it's well within Subo's price range.

Scores on the board

THE new book by journalists Polly Toynbee and David Walker, assessing 13 years of Labour government, was not quite ready in time for the Book Festival.

The Verdict will now be published next month - but those who went along to hear the pair in the main theatre in Charlotte Square got a sneak preview of their conclusion.

After weighing up all the pros and cons, the achievements and disappointments, Ms Toynbee and Mr Walker give the Blair-Brown years six out of ten.

Making a meal of it

EDINBURGH may be home to some of the best restaurants in the country, but it seems we're not quite a city of intrepid food lovers.

A new survey has suggested that around a third of men in the Capital would rather tuck into their mum's home cooking than go out for dinner with friends.

It even suggested that partners should be taking more tips from 'mother', with more than a quarter - 29 per cent - of people in Edinburgh admitting that they wished their partner would cook more like their mothers.

However, almost a fifth - 18 per cent - wouldn't dare share this secret with their partner.

Less surprising was that among the favourite home-cooked meals was bangers and mash - a fact which must have delighted survey backers Richmond Sausages.