Beggars, buses, birds, and bogus callers.

Wednesday night and watching Gok working his magic on the show, "How to Look Good naked" which I find fascinating, he comes over as being really genuine and certainly has done wonders for folk. His show a couple of weeks ago with the man being the feature was really good.

The Mercat Bar has been busy the past two days so we have all been kept on our toes, plenty visitors from all over the World and many coming in following recommendations. The Bar is one of the three to be nominated as the Best Bar in Edinburgh by readers of the Edinburgh Evening News and RGB will be invited along to a wee ceremony on 12th August at the News Offices where the outright winner will be announced, well done all, and thanks to those who submitted the voting forms.

Bit of excitement today with a strange hit and run accident outside at Palmerston Place, not sure how it really happened but a truck cut round in front of a bus, striking the front and smashing the windscreen then drove off. It must have overtaken the bus then swung right across the front. Fortunately the incident will be on the CCTV system in the bus and there were pedestrians on the kerb..

I see that the stationary tram in Princes Street has had its 60,000 th visitor - looks like it will remain there till the new depot is ready at Gogar - just as I said a couple of weeks ago.

We have a new beggar on the pavement in West Maitland Street, yet another to the growing army of beggars of all nationalities who have appeared just as the Edinburgh Festival kicks off. It is just like a case of "running the gauntlet" now as you head along Shandwick Place into Princes St - beggars, charity tins, pipers, you name them we have them - and I thought that the seagulls ripping open the bin bags were bad. According to the Joint Nature Conservation Committee the seabird population in this area has declined dramatically over the past ten years - blamed on Global warming which has apparently accounted for a reduction in the numbers of sand eels in the Firth of Forth and them being replaced by pipe-fish which are not good feeding for the sea birds.

We are still getting the cold calls from marketing companies, and from the continuing numbers of hits on the Blog, the National Crime Research Group (scam) is still being used on hundreds of households every day.

These Companies risk a fine of £5000 as it is illegal to make direct marketing calls to households without first checking the Register held by the Telephone Preference Service (TPS). Any household can register with the TPS (Tel 0800 398893 for auto service and 01932 414151 - for the information pack) and within 28 days of registering all calls should stop, and numbers will remain barred until the registration has been voluntarily lifted.

If you are getting automated calls these can be barred by contacting "Silent Call Guard - Tel. 0870 444 3969 for the automated service .

Thursday, having a day off of sorts - things to do, people to see and places to go - as they say !!