I WAS there. At the VIP (it said on the invitation) relaunch of Jenners, Princes Street's grand old lady.
Nobody's denying it desperately needed – if I can be so uncouth – a good old fashioned boot up the bahookie.
Well, it's had one. General manager George Bell, with huge bucks behind him, was in bursting-with-pride form touting the "total and absolu
te" transformation on all floors.
Wee touch of vertigo for me, virtually hanging from the rafters, viewing the fashion parade in the Grand Hall below.
I gravitated naturally towards the sound of live jazz music on the second floor, where Valvona & Crolla, meaning Philip and Mary Contini, have assumed command of the food hall. It's vast, almost.
Said Mrs C at the window overlooking the street: "This is our ten-years-younger bar. Sit in these seats and you feel younger by ten years. Would you like a seat? Need a leg up?"
Chuckles from bystanders were X-rated.
Hello again, sailors!
Leith's centuries-old links with the briny will be celebrated with South Leith Church's annual service for seafarers on Sunday. HMS Edinburgh, anchored in her home port this weekend, will provide the guard of honour.
George on board George Reid, former Presiding Officer at Holyrood and Lord High Commissioner and Queen's man at the General Assembly, will preach. We'll want to hear what George has to say.
Catch a glimpse of Edinburgh close up if you can. By the way, we've not got many Type-42 destroyers left. Not many of anything, come to that.
Lay off it, Lulu Come off it, Lulu! What is it they say about the pot and the kettle? She's reportedly claiming London-born Rod Stewart's a "big phoney," saying he's always pretending to be Scottish.
Methinks she's having a go at his accent when there's nothing phonier, nothing more pseudo-English than her own, best exposed when she lapses into her native broad Glaswegian.
No daft, though. All too aware that rubbishing Rod would get her picture in the paper. Still shouting. Apparently these days she pampers her voice with ginger tea.
A right wee scunner, isn't she no?
The full article contains 366 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
