Stag nights and thistledown

My brother-in-law is to marry in August and this weekend is his stag 'do'. Thirteen middle-aged men and three twentysomethings head off to Dublin for a male bonding event which will inevitably involve many pints of Guiness, 'team' tee-shirts and some very weird pranks which involve dressing up as leprechauns and deep sea drivers [don't ask me, I'm only one very bemused observor]. Male rituals are strange affairs...

I, on the other hand, am off to a wee party for Billy Fitzpatrick which is the local community centre's way of saying thank you for 23 years service. It is a kind thought and I know he will appreciate it. He continues his search for work and is bored without council activities. We spoke recently and I enjoyed his description of his first job interview in decades...a role play on how to deal with awkward situations...there isn't much Billy doesn't know about awkward situations and he should have done well.

I also enjoyed reading page three in tonight's Evening News - a page filler about Eric's office (which is splendid) and also clear evidence that in the absence of anything serious from the council more of this kind of fluff is bound to come out. It is gossiped the new coalition does not intend any significant policy pronouncement till August which is a too-long hiatus by which time the Edinburgh public will be even more bored with us than they already are. It is a dismal prospect: an SNP parliament will inevitably cream most political coverage so the local council has to work even harder to register its place in the public consciousness. Even if it isn't a labour council making the news, somebody should be. All this ephemera about Joe Public and rooms is thistledown.