Talk of the Town: Ladies bare their souls at sing-song

With Calendar Girls packing 'em in at the King's Theatre, the punters in neighbouring Bennets Bar were not surprised to see the cast propping up the bar last week.

What nobody expected was the outbreak of an impromptu gig. Also in the pub were members of the Scots Music Group's classes, who had dropped in for their regular session after class. As the instruments came out, the Calendar Girls couldn't help but join in.

One of the guitarists tells us: "It was Ruth Madoc, Denise Black, Jennifer Ellison and other cast members. They all joined in with one song. Then Ruth and another actress belted out a Welsh song - not a dry eye in the house."

Whether the Girls posed for photographs with just guitars and accordions preserving their dignity has not been revealed.

Must try harder to fix scores of rugby games

WHILE the spectre of match-fixing currently hangs over sport there are some scenarios just too far-fetched for them to be contrived.

For example, we can only endorse remarks on the Heriot's rugby website at the conclusion of last weekend's matches which saw the 1st XV win 26-25 partly due to opponents Melrose missing a last-gasp goal-kick while on the adjacent pitch when a successful last-gasp penalty by Bill Auld enabled their 2nd XV to beat Melrose 2nds by . . . 26-25!

"No far-eastern betting syndicate could have predicted that!" declared Heriot's.

Latin laugh is on Alex

THE Pope's visit to Scotland has obviously had an effect on Tory leader Annabel Goldie - she burst into Latin in the Scottish Parliament last week.

Her first words at First Minister's Questions were "Via, veritas, vita - the way, the truth, the life", the motto of Glasgow University, whose principal Anton Muscatelli had warned that in 2013 his university would run out of cash.

Then, after a reply - in English - from Alex Salmond, Ms Goldie adapted Julius Caesar's famous comment "Veni, vidi, vici" (I came, I saw, I conquered) to suggest a new motto for the First Minister: Veni, vidi, procrastinavi, which she translated as "I came, I saw, and I haven't a clue".

Brushing up on presentation

Thanks to Freedom of Information, we know three MSPs attended training courses between May 20 and August 1 last year at a cost of 5750.

Environment Minister Roseanna Cunningham went on a course called "Facing the Media" while Enterprise Minister Jim Mather and Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill were both trained in "Advanced Presentations Skills".

Intriguingly, Mr MacAskill then needed two "follow-up sessions".