John Gibson: Some day her prince will come

SuBo gabbing to interviewer Lorraine Kelly: “Knowing my luck he’ll probably have one eye, one foot in the grave and be deaf as a post.”

Sweetheart, I could have been your prince. I’ve got two eyes. My hearing’s okay. You could be right, though about the other prerequisite.

This comes straight from SuBo’s heart and we have to jalouse it’s because she’s plugging her new album. Don’t forget, though, to send a copy to Cardinal Keith O’Brien. Keith’s a fan. But His Eminence would draw the line at frying sausages for you.

SuBo’s in America where she’s telling the locals her to-die-for sustenance is sausage on a piece. Just don’t give up the search for Mister Right.

Light relief

Praying for better weather this time. The tree lighting ceremony in aid of St Columba’s Hospice in Charlotte Square was abandoned last year, no thanks to the worst snowfall of the winter.

So director of fund-raising Lesley Christie and fund-raising manager Mairi Rosko have their fingers crossed. The big switch-on is scheduled for Monday at 6.30, Sir Tom Farmer and Hospice chairman Ian Adam officiating.

Says Lesley: “The re-build will cost £26 million but we’re close, with £5m to go, and we hope the project will be completed by 2014.”

Mairi adds: “The rearranged Light-a-Light event overall, with members of the public subscribing to each of the 6000 lights, brought in £105,000 last year.

“The 45-feet tree again will be donated by the Forestry Commission, coming up from Peeblesshire. Please don’t let it snow on December 5!”

Dance with me

Orla Guerin, the BBC’s Middle East correspondent has had a long-overdue makeover. Your new free-flowing hairstyle suits you, Orla. I’ll come to your Christmas party after all.

Bags me the first dance. Don’t let John Simpson beat me to it. John’s posting all his cards early for Christmas from his grace and favour cellar in Kabul.