Talk of the town: Missing snake plea has us all rattled

IT’S a far cry from the usual missing pet poster pleading for the safe return of a lost dog or a runaway cat.This poster sparked concern and alarm on a whole different scale after a noticeboard appeal for a missing nine-foot rattlesnake with a deadly bite.

The heartfelt plea was posted in a city shopping centre and explained that the huge, highly venomous reptile had escaped its vivarium and was on the loose.

Unflinchingly, Talk of the Town tried to track it down, attempting to contact its alleged owner and the Scottish SPCA to ensure it was on the hunt for the deadly beast.

Fortunately for ophidiophobes, it appears the poster was just a cruel hoax, although if anyone finds a nine-foot rattlesnake hiding under their beds, Talk of the Town would love to hear from you.

Step into the future not on for the Commons people

ANTIQUATED habits die hard. A vote by MPs to allow the use of Twitter during Commons debates was hailed as a bold step towards modernisation.

Parliamentary authorities had earlier tried to ban it, but now Edinburgh West Liberal Democrat MP Mike Crockart sends this message from Westminster: “Just seen bloke in britches and wig taking a written message tied with a ribbon to the Lords. Did he miss the vote last week? Now we tweet!”

Site is a world app-art

IT might be one of the oldest parts of the Capital, but that doesn’t mean the World Heritage Site is stuck in the past.

The city’s Unesco-protected site has taken a stride into the future with the launch of its own app.

Created for Edinburgh World Heritage, it has been designed to help visitors find out more about the World Heritage Site.

The app was drawn up after it emerged that while the site encompasses both Old and New Town, and covers some 5000 listed buildings, visitors rarely stray further than the Royal Mile or Princes Street.

Pay attention or pay price

AS the home to hundreds of lawyers and financiers, residents of Edinburgh might fancy themselves as sharp-eyed types who wouldn’t miss a detail in the small print.

But the Capital is actually the most unobservant city in the UK.

According to laser eye specialist Ultralase, 20 per cent of people in Edinburgh have been stung financially as a result of missing some key detail in a contract.

As we all know, if that contract involves a major piece of infrastructure such as, say, a tram line, the costs can be a lot more.