Talk of the Town: Thrifty MSPs keep budget in focus

IT's good to see some lessons have been learned in sensible housekeeping at the Scottish Parliament since the building of their Holyrood home.

Promising new photography graduates are among those being invited to compete for the honour of taking the Queen's picture so a portrait of the monarch can be put up in the Scottish Parliament without costing the earth.

When Holyrood bosses were asked to consider a royal portrait, they decided to go for a photograph rather than a painting in order to avoid controversy – and save money.

The planned photograph has a figure of 5,000 pencilled against it, but insiders say they hope it will cost significantly less.

Let's kick Ian McGeechan's slur right into touch

THE inside story of Scotland's 1990 grand slam is being told in a new book by Tom English entitled The Grudge and we're sorry to see the name of a late Evening News rugby correspondent taken in vain by none other than Sir Ian McGeechan.

"Throughout my early years I was utterly convinced that I had to be not just a little bit better but a lot better ... because I was seen as English by people like Reg Prophit," McGeechan is quoted as saying.

There again can we believe a word of it? This, after all, is the same McGeechan who said in 1997 he had declined an invite to coach England because in his heart of hearts he couldn't bring them north to face Scotland ... only to contradict himself in a recently published autobiography in which he boasts he was serious about wanting the England job but had spun a line "to keep the hounds at bay".

Purple pasta on menu

IT's tasty, versatile and comforting – but pasta can be a slightly boring colour. This may not be a problem for most diners, but Bella Italia has decided to jazz up its fettuccine by turning them purple.

The city restaurant has launched a special Mother's Day dish featuring grilled chicken and gorgonzola sauce - on a "glorious bed" of the UK's first violet-coloured fettuccine.

The colourful dish is all in aid of a good cause, with 50p from each sale donated to Wellbeing For Women – which has a distinctive purple logo.

'Research' worth shredding

It seems Paddington Bear is being given a run for his money when it comes to his love of marmalade – by the people of Scotland.

"Research" has shown that city residents are among the biggest marmalade lovers in the UK, with 26.5 per cent of the Capital saying it was their breakfast spread of choice.

Sadly, the analysis by Robinson's Golden Shred could not say whether Paddington was planning to take the fight to Scotland by switching to deep fried marmalade sandwich suppers.