Talk of the Town: You can count on Dracula star's good manners

ALISTAIR Darling's distinctive two-tone barnet and eyebrow combination is certainly a unique feature in the Commons, but filmmaker Alison Jackson is hoping our Chancellor is not one of a kind.

She was on the lookout for a Darling doppelganger in Edinburgh over the weekend for a new film which aims to find lookalikes for Cabinet ministers in their own hometowns.

If you think she's had her work cut out in Edinburgh, her trip to Kirkcaldy must have been a nightmare.

With his dour unsmiling face seen as his biggest political liability, it would take a brave man to admit he looks like Gordon Brown.

You can count on Dracula star's good manners

SIMON Pegg has praised his Burke And Hare co-star Sir Christopher Lee as "an absolute gentleman".

The two actors star in the John Landis black comedy about the murderous 19th century pair, which has been filming in the Capital.

Pegg wrote on Twitter: "Just shot scenes with Sir Christopher Lee – 89 years old and insisted on sticking around for off camera lines, what an absolute gentleman."

Pan-demonium in chambers

TOILET humour has its way of creeping in to the most unexpected scenarios – and council meetings are not exempt.

During a debate on whether Victoria Primary in Newhaven should get another classroom to cope with extra demand, the issue of inadequate toilet provision was raised by official Lindsay Glasgow.

Not agreeing this was a good enough reason for preventing the school from expanding, Councillor Gordon Munro began to reel off his counter-argument.

"I know that Lindsay fell back on to the toilet issue," he said, unaware of his unfortunate turn of phrase.

His colleagues around the table – including the bemused Ms Glasgow – burst into fits of laughter.

Double standards

CAMPAIGNERS fighting to save Colinton Mains Community Centre in the face of cuts have been coming to terms with the fact the council thinks their days should be numbered.

So they were flummoxed to receive an invitation to have a stall at the "Your Edinburgh" information day.

The event aims to "Promote community connections within the Oxgangs area," a promise which rang rather empty to those who fear their community centre will soon be gone.

Colinton/Fairmilehead councillor Jason Rust tells Talk of the Town: "It is shocking that on the one hand they are proposing to close the centre, which is much used and valued locally, yet on the other hand want the centre to be promoted at a council-run event. The situation gets more farcical by the day."