By Cara Sulieman ONE of the world’s most famous social networking sites is being brought to life on stage. Facebook: The Musical opens at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival next month taking its inspiration from real life relationships forged – and broken – over the web. The producers describe the show as “a very modern romance” [...]
By Cara Sulieman THE NEW owner of a pub in East Lothian will get more than they bargained for when they pick up the keys – as the bar comes will a resident parrot. Basil has lived in the Pheasant Hotel in Haddington for 28 years and has become a regular fixture next to the [...]
By Alexander Lawrie GLASVEGAS frontman James Allan is moving to the States to write and record the band’s much-anticipated second album. The Mercury Prize-nominee wants to buy a house near Los Angeles. And he says he wants to move the whole band in together – because he wants them to “be like the Waltons”. Allan, [...]
By Alexander Lawrie CONTROVERSIAL plans to erect a massive wind turbine in a supermarket car park have been given the go-ahead. Retail giants Asda are keen to go green at their flagship superstore in Kirkcaldy, Fife. But locals have described the move as “a disgrace” and are threatening a boycott of the popular store. The [...]
By Alexander Lawrie SCOTLAND’S local authorities are pouring £1 million a year down the drain buying in bottled water rather than using supplies from taps. Council chiefs have splashed out at least that amount refreshing staff and guests with bought in water rather than using regular supplies. And it’s part of a near £3 MILLION [...]
By Cara Sulieman, Rory Reynolds, Noelia Martinez & Oliver Farrimond THE FUNERAL of hero fire-fighter Ewan Williamson took place today in heavy rain and grey skies. Yet despite the weather hundreds still lined the cobbled streets of Edinburgh to pay their respects to the 35-year-old who died trying to save the lives of others. A [...]
By Alexander Lawrie A PROMISING young student has been killed and his girlfriend left fighting for her life after a horror car-crash. Besotted couple Jack Chan and his girlfriend Emily Chan, both 18, were travelling in his blue Mazda car when it left the road and crashed head on into a tree on Frogston Road [...]
By Paul Thornton A SCHIZOPHRENIC ex paratrooper has been jailed for an unprovoked knife attack on two pensioners during broad daylight in a busy street in Edinburgh. The random assaults on two OAPs aged 79 and 82 happened within minutes of each other in Easter Road in Leith on February 4. Francis McGeachie, 82, was [...]
By Paul Thornton CANNY Scots are the most forgetful people in the UK – except when it comes to their cash, according to new figures. A fifth of Scots cannot remember their age on the spot while 40 per cent often forget what they went into a shop for, compared to around a quarter elsewhere. [...]
By Shaun Milne A PET parrot has been branded “sectarian” for whistling Rangers anthems The Sash and Follow Follow at neighbours. Rio, an African Grey parrot, was taught the tunes by his owner and Rangers fan Linda Gillies at her home in Whitburn, West Lothian. But a brassed off neighbour was so angry at being [...]
By Cara Sulieman A SEX fiend who violently raped a teenage girl in a sleepy seaside town is being hunted by one of Scotland’s top cops. Detective Inspector Stuart Hood – who headed Operation Algebra which cracked Scotland’s worst ever paedophile ring – has vowed to catch the attacker who left his 18-year-old victim “devastated [...]
By Paul Thornton A COP who illegally used a high-powered police database to fish for intelligence on people she knew has been fined after first quitting her job. Anna Wong, 26, used the Scottish Intelligence Database (SID) to look-up police information on dozens of members of the Chinese community who were being looked into by [...]
By Paul Thornton A TRENDY restaurant chain has vowed to dump its expensive Italian bottled water for free drink from its Scottish taps – but only if customers back the plan. The Vittoria chain – which has two café bars in Edinburgh – has long been serving guests with £1.50 bottles of Acqua Panna, which [...]
By Shaun Milne FALLEN fire-fighter Ewan Williamson should be honoured with the Queen’s Gallantry Medal for his heroism, it was suggested today. The 35-year-old, who died tackling a blaze at the Balmoral Bar in Edinburgh’s Dalry district little over a week ago, will be laid to rest tomorrow. But now there are calls for fire-fighter [...]
By Cara Sulieman THE brother of singing sensation Susan Boyle is following in his sister’s footsteps by launching his own music label. Instant Music is part of a range of products and services under the Instant name. And Gerry Boyle will be holding his own Britain’s Got Talent style audition to find artists for the [...]
By Paul Thornton POLICE forensic teams were tonight investigating the mystery deaths of a man and a woman after their bodies were found in a flat in Edinburgh’s posh stockbroker’s district. Uniformed officers were posted on guard at an address in Dean Village while detective and experts in coveralls combed the area for clues. Lothian [...]
By Cara Sulieman A SOUGHT after Russian artist who has even sold her artwork to the Royal family is on a flying visit to Scotland to show off her skills. Tanya Andreeva has been painting Matryoshka dolls for 19 years and is the most collected artist for them in the UK. Visiting her friend Zoya [...]
By ALEXANDER LAWRIE A HEROIC lifeboat skipper is to be awarded a bravery medal for saving a yachting couple’s lives – over 100 years after his great-grandfather was presented with a similar honour. Coxswain Gary Fairbairn, from Dunbar, East Lothian, is to be presented with the Bronze medal for Gallantry by the Royal National Lifeboat [...]
By ALEXANDER LAWRIE ON her wedding day every bride looks to wear something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue. Now two antique wedding outfits that could fit the bill are to go under the auctioneer’s hammer this month – expected to fetch over £3,000. A stunning cream wedding dress and a beige “going [...]
By ALEXANDER LAWRIE A SCOTS health board is looking to hire a new tsar to help teach locals how to WALK their way to fitness. But the post from NHS Lothian is already under fire after applicants were told they need a driving licence. Edinburgh Council has teamed up with NHS Lothian to offer a [...]