Talk of theTown: George is a real political animal

HE has travelled to Antarctica, Peru, Brazil and Hong Kong to name but a few places.

Now George the Bear - school mascot at St George's - has met Prime Minister David Cameron during a visit to 10 Downing Street.

The well-travelled bear joined modern studies students on a visit to London, where they took in the Houses of Parliament, Downing Street and the Foreign Office.

Mr Cameron posed for pictures with George and the girls outside the famous door.

Capital punters cash in on wallet publicity stunt

Shoppers in the Capital were among those to be targeted by Kodak, which recently left 3000 wallets lying in city streets, each containing 5.

The wallets also contained a note directing them to a website where they discovered that their "finders keepers" moment had been caught on camera and could be watched online.

Well, if you really must get snagged by a publicity stunt, might as well be one that pays you a fiver for your trouble.

All change at Holyrood

THERE'S been a bit of gender reassignment going on at the Macdonald Holyrood Hotel this week.

The hotel's leisure centre has switched the male and female changing rooms while it carries out maintenance work.

Despite prominent signs informing guests of the gender switch, a few absent-minded guests have still been habitually walking into their usual changing room.

However, there were few blushes to be spared for one woman caught short in a room full of men. When a few amused lads pointed out that it was lucky she hadn't stripped out of her bathing suit already she shrugged: "Ach, we're all the same at the end of the day."

Despite these sage words the hotel will not be introducing mixed gender showers.

Stats not to be sneezed at

LIES, damn lies and statistics might be the oft-cited phrase but these figures are not to be sniffed at.

In a study announced today, 67 per cent of Capital residents said they would avoid a germ-ridden handshake with a spluttering cold victim, opting instead for the less intimate nod or wave.

Adults across Edinburgh went on to reveal that spitting, grunting and sniffing from heavy phlegm or mucus are the most offensive habits to encounter.

It provides a note of caution to first dates this winter, as 53 per cent of respondents claim they would not go on a second date with someone who repeatedly made unpleasant coughing noises.