Reason to believe Rod's on way back

Not many celebrity couples choose to have their children christened in the shadow of Lidl, Farmfoods and Poundstretcher.

But Rod Stewart and his wife Penny Lancaster are planning a return trip to South Leith Parish Church for the christening of their baby son, Aiden.

The couple first visited the church, just off the Newkirkgate shopping centre, in 2006 for the christening of their first son together, Alastair. They picked the church because Stewart's father, Bob, was born in Leith.

Now they have announced that they hope to bring two-month-old Aiden to Leith for his christening and would like it to be carried out by the church's Rev Ian Gilmour, who christened Alastair and officiated at the couple's wedding.

In an interview about baby Aiden in Hello! magazine, Ms Lancaster, 40, said: "Hopefully he'll be christened in Scotland, at the same place that Alastair was and it will be with the same vicar."

There could, however, be a hitch. Rev Gilmour, who has worked at South Leith since 1995, is due to move to a new post at St Andrew's and St George's West in George Street towards the end of this month.

But he has made no secret of the fact that he would be delighted to be the one to welcome Aiden into the Church of Scotland. After Alastair's christening he told the Evening News that if the couple had another baby he'd be happy to oblige."

When news of Ms Lancaster's pregnancy broke last year, he confirmed to columnist John Gibson that he would still be delighted to do the job.

Alastair was christened there during a normal Sunday service in June 2006, with around 200 parishioners looking on. Guests also included Stewart's daughter from his first marriage, Kimberley, and his friend, football manager Gordon Strachan.

The following year, Rev Gilmour officiated at the couple's wedding in Portofino, Italy.

The surroundings in Leith might be not be quite so glitzy, but residents said they'd be delighted to welcome the family back. Chairman of Leith Harbour and Newhaven Community Council Graham Chapman said: "It brings a little bit of glamour to us. It's all doom and gloom at the moment, so it would be good."

Leith Councillor Gordon Munro added: "Rod's obviously fallen in love with the place You get many sights in the Kirkgate and this will be just another example."