Talk of the Town: Who's angry at missing out on role?

IT could have been a much more riotous affair replete with expletive-fuelled anecdotes and the occasional banjo medley.

This is how television powerhouse Doctor Who may have looked if, as has been reported, Billy Connolly had landed the famous role. The Big Yin has told how he was on a shortlist to play the Time Lord and was devastated on missing out on the part in 1996.

He said in an interview: "It was brought up in a meeting apparently, but nobody told me until after they decided against it. If I had done it, he would have been angrier, a much angrier Doctor Who. I would have loved it. I would have taken it."

Of course the role would later fall to one of Bathgate's favourite sons, David Tennant.

Talking up importance of talking books campaign

Talking of Tennant, he's named as one of the nation's favourite people to read a bedtime story according to a new survey out today to promote the 75th anniversary of Talking Books for people with sight loss. Joanna Lumley has the voice that most Scots would like to hear and Stephen Fry was the overall UK winner.

The survey promotes a new campaign launched today by the Royal National Institute of Blind People to highlight the vital importance of Talking Books to the blind and partially sighted.

Height of confusion

From Everest to the, er, Mound where Edinburgh's Assembly Hall is hosting a unique gathering of five great mountaineers who have scaled the world's tallest peak on November 18 in aid of charity.

However, demonstrating that it takes all sorts our sister paper, the Herald & Post, asked one of the Famous Five if he could supply a photograph for a preview article only to be told "you'll have to wait until tomorrow because I don't know how to e-mail photographs."

Defying the elements and shinning up 29,000+ feet is all very well but how reassuring for some of us to know that a head for heights doesn't qualify you to dominate cyberspace.

Snoring not to be sniffed at

SNORING is a problem which affects millions, both those who snore and those kept awake by the noise.

Now, however, it seems snorers have a chance to turn their affliction into a skill. Edinburgh snorers are being invited to record their night time nostril noise for chance to appear in the world's first Snore-chestra, sponsored by a leading snoring remedy firm.

Snorers, or their partners, now have until the 21 November to submit a short recording to be in with a chance of appearing on this year's track, Away in a Manger.