by Karrie Gillett VISITORS to the Royal Yacht Britannia in Leith were treated to a guest performance from a group of Royal Marines today. The band of 24 Scottish Marines boarded the popular tourist attraction as part of a dress rehearsal ahead of the opening night of the Edinburgh Military Tattoo. And the director of [...]
by Alexander Lawrie A HYPERACTIVE youngster who turned to disco dancing to use up her excess energy has stunned her family by becoming World Champion. Tamara Robertson is officially the best under-eight disco dancer on the planet after fighting off stiff competition from more than 100 girls from across the globe. The confident eight-year-old wowed the [...]
By Martin Couper A STRICKEN former snooker champion is facing a cash crisis after giving up his battle for money from a World Snooker disability fund. Former world number 12, Chris Small quit the sport nearly three years ago after developing a degenerative spinal condition called ankylosing spondylitis. Since then Chris, 34, has been embroiled [...]
by Alexander Lawrie A MUSICIAN who had a rare instrument stolen after a gig has had it returned – after finding it for sale on Ebay. Rob St John, 22, and his band were travelling back to Edinburgh by train after playing a gig in Glasgow in April when he noticed the band’s prized harmonium [...]
by Karrie Gillett THE seabird centre in North Berwick was the unusual location for a rare performance from TV legend Ronnie Corbett OBE. The diminutive funnyman – who has long connections with the East Lothian area – arrived with his wife Anne to reveal the famous sculpture of an Arctic tern and bronze penguins at the Scottish Seabird [...]
by Michael MacLeod A YOUNG boy has been seriously injured after falling more than 30ft from a cliff face on the first day of his holiday. The seven-year-old – named locally as Cameron – was climbing up the edge of the rocks at Pease Bay Holiday Home Park when he lost his footing. His frantic [...]
by Alexander Lawrie YOUNG Scots send more texts than anywhere else in Britain – but are now being urged to cut down in a bid to ward of injury. Almost two thirds of Scots aged 16-24 are sending an average of 20 or more texts a day. One in six (16%) are now [...]
By Michael MacLeod A CAT who dresses as Superman plunged 65ft from a balcony – and survived. Lucky Basil could have been killed in the fall from the top-floor flat after he landed just inches from metal railings. But the two-year-old Bengal cat – whose owner Debbie Standen made him a Superman cape to wear [...]
By Martin Couper AN online clothes shop that has supplied dresses to stars of the new James Bond film has been banned from opening in a shopping centre – because it is too sexy. Sexy Little Numbers has been operating over the internet for four years and has been popular with a host of celebrity [...]
By Alexander Lawrie THREE cellists who specialise in playing in extraordinary places have completed their most challenging task yet – playing on top of Ben Nevis. The Extreme Cellists performed at the top of Britain’s highest peak as part of their Four Peak challenge, where the novice climbers are attempting to scale the heights of [...]
By Karrie Gillett MUSICAL acts from across the world are to descend on Edinburgh for the 2008 military tattoo. The three-week show is boasting a line-up of international marching bands and dancers performing alongside home-grown traditional attractions. Major General Euan Loudon, chief executive and producer of the Tattoo promised the very best of Scotland’s heritage [...]
By Douglas Walker A DESPERATE house seller who offered a £50,000 cash incentive to the potential buyer of his home is set to take it off the market after receiving no offers. Malcolm Young, 57, used the ploy in an attempt to lure in buyers after his house failed to attract any interest. Mr Young [...]
By Michael MacLeod SCIENTISTS have hacked into iPhones to help people with fat fingers to type. The Apple gadget’s touch-screen keyboard is notoriously fiddly, especially for users with chubby digits. Now boffins at Glasgow University have put their finger on the problem by creating tiny vibrations to imitate the feel of buttons on a flat [...]
By Alexander Lawrie Scottish bands who performed at this year’s T in the Park have seen their CD sales rocket – with The Fratellis leading the way with an amazing 157 per cent increase over the past week. HMV have said copies of the Glaswegian rockers album ‘Here We Stand’ are flying off the shelves [...]
By Michael MacLeod A TEENAGE gap year student says she feels lucky to be alive after being mauled by a lion while working abroad as a tour guide. Lisa Baxter, 19, was working at a safari park in New Zealand when Timba, an African White Lion, sunk his teeth into both her hands. But [...]
By Michael Macleod A DRIVING school boss called an office worker ‘gay boy’ and told him he was lucky to have a job because “not many companies employ gays”, a tribunal has heard. Pro Scot boss John MacDonald also allegedly described employee Mark Rowan, 29, as ‘one of the girls’ on the company’s website. Mr Rowan [...]
By Douglas Walker DOZY thieves thought they’d stolen a classic work of art only to make off with a worthless copy. The bungling burglars assumed they’d struck gold when they discovered John Constable’s famous ‘The Hay Wain’ hanging from the wall of a house they’d broken in to. However the painting was in fact a [...]
By Martin Couper A PENSIONER had a lucky escape after having a heart attack in the street – because three emergency service workers happened to be passing. Marcus James, 73, was walking to a bus stop near his home when he collapsed and lost consciousness. The frail OAP stopped breathing after the fall and needed [...]
By Paul Thornton A RICKETY shack on a windswept coast is being offered for sale – a snip at just £99,000. The wooden shed, which has a leaky felt roof and a free mice infestation has been on the market for four weeks and has attracted several offers. “Rosamar”, perched on the very edge of [...]
By Michael MacLeod AN up and coming rocker has gone partially blind after headbanging too much at a gig. Richard Allan, 21, felt his eyesight go blurry after his show on Friday night and assumed he had been dazzled by stage lights. But the bass player has actually torn his retina as he jumped around [...]