Talk of the Town: Coffee famine kick starts licence board

COFFEE is one of the world's best-loved stimulants but, for some of the Capital's politicians, a lack of coffee gets them through their work faster.

At the latest meeting of the licensing board, leader Marjorie Thomas warned that councillors on the board for the early 9am Monday start had been unable to get any coffee in the members' lounge.

The weary-looking members' eyes then lit up when she proposed that they schedule in a coffee break for the earlier than usual 10:30am.

With seven licence reviews and hearings to be heard by then, it seemed like an ambitious task. But the councillors raced through the morning's business and, at shortly after 10am, Cllr Thomas proposed taking an even earlier than planned coffee break.

The news was greeted by cheers from caffeine-starved councillors. Let's hope it wasn't de-caf.

Crime writer Rankin knows how to get away with it

HE'S used to piling up the bodies in his books, but crime writer Ian Rankin has revealed how he would commit murder for real.

Mr Rankin – who was questioned by police when his Rebus debut Knots and Crosses bore some spooky similarities to an ongoing case at the time – has given away the secret of the perfect murder.

"Pick a victim whose absence from the world is going to cause as few ripples as possible," said Mr Rankin.

Pizza tackles meaty issue

THERE are endless wacky ideas to raise money and awareness of a particular good cause, but special mention has to be made of a local pizza restaurant for their cheeky idea to help Cancer Research.

To highlight the Everyman Male Cancer Awareness Month in June, which seeks to raise awareness of male cancers, Papa John's Pizza's store on Leith Walk has launched a new pizza . . . the Spicy Meatball Pizza.

With 50p from the sale of every special pizza, the store will be raising much-needed funds, as well as awareness for the campaign.

McConnell finds a friend

FORMER Labour First Minister Jack – soon to be Lord – McConnell has found an unlikely defender in city Lib Dem housing leader Paul Edie.

Writing on his blog, Cllr Edie says he finds the anger expressed by some political opponents at Mr McConnell's peerage "mystifying".

"He was a very able First Minister," continues Cllr Edie. "The beef came from an unheard of SNP MSP who was ratty about McConnell still being an MSP. He forgot to say that First Minister Salmond did not resign his Westminster seat when he was elected to the Scottish Parliament.

"But 'Politician is Hypocrite' is a 'Dog Bites Man' story."