Mutt gets ready to shoot to stardom

By Cara SuliemanA CANINE mascot is getting ready to be promoted to bombardier after he fires a cannon with his nose.

Blue the Yorkshire terrier has already starred in a ceremony for Greyfriars Bobby, laying a wreath on his grave.

And now the miniature mutt is set to fire his very own replica of the One o’Clock Gun.

The two feet tall model will be operated remotely and Blue will use his nose to press the firing button.

This isn’t the first time the Greyfriars look-a-like has performed in public, he was the star attraction at the faithful pooch’s anniversary celebrations, placing a wreath on the grave.

On that occasion Blue was dressed in a new regimental dress coat with the colours and insignia of the Royal Artillery.

And now the mascot of the One o’Clock Gun Association is preparing himself for his next trick.

The association is hoping to use the scale model to launch their exhibition at Edinburgh Castle, and have started building it already.

George Robinson, the secretary of the group, wants the model to be an exact replica of the original cannon.

He said: “It will probably be fired electronically and we’re hoping the dog will press the button with his nose. We think it would be really funny.

“Blue is a truly unique dog and the sort of things he is able to do are incredible. He’s just a little show-off really.

“Once he has passed his gunnery test and fires the cannon we’re going to add two stripes to his uniform and make him Bombardier Blue.”

Blue will be making his public appearance at the re-launch of the One o’Clock Gun exhibition at Edinburgh Castle later this year.

The little dog’s owner John Lovie, a former RAF aircraftsman, has already got started on the work.

He said: “We’re building it at the moment and I don’t think it will be that long before we have it completed. It will look like a real gun, with the wood at the sides.

“We’re hoping that Blue will be able to fire it with his nose. He uses his nose quite a lot to let people know he’s about.”

As well as making his public appearances, Blue is becoming somewhat of a celebrity in North Berwick, where he lives.

The whole association want the pooch to be made the official mascot for the town.

East Lothian Provost Sheena Richardson said it is a “most interesting idea,” but the council haven’t ruled anything out, stating that it is too early to make a decision.

Sexy Scots get set for steamy 2009

By Cara Sulieman
SCOTS have traditionally chosen food over sex, but are now ready to spend more time in the bedroom than the kitchen.

A whopping 71 per cent of Aberdonians have vowed to have more sex this year, with a similar number of Edinburghers and Glaswegians agreeing.

The poll by LighterLife looked into the nocturnal habits of the nation, and although they discovered that Scots were top of the UK league, they were still low in confidence and ability.

With 16 per cent of Aberdonians rating their bedroom performance as very good, they topped the UK poll.

But that left a huge 84 per cent unsure about their abilities.

As confidence in the bedroom plummets, it is being blamed on the high rate of obesity in the country.

Susan Murray, a LighterLife consultant from Insch in Aberdeenshire, says sexual confidence is linked to an individual’s weight.

“The study shows that being obese affects the mind as well as the body, and reveals the problems faced by so many people.

“For many, it’s a vicious circle – many use food as a substitute for love, and as the pounds pile on, their relationship switches from their partners, to food.”

One in five of those from Aberdeen also thought they were very experienced and had many previous partners.

Lowlanders stand up well to the stiff competition from their Northern neighbours, and are still miles ahead of their English counterparts in the bedroom.

Thirteen per cent Edinburgh’s population consider themselves very experienced, with 7 per-cent of Glaswegians thinking the same.

But the resolution to plan more steamy bedroom sessions paints a different picture, as Scots shed pounds for the new year and are looking forward to the results.

Susan said: “They need to learn how to recognise how to break the cycle – and clearly, for those who do, the sauce will not be in the kitchen, but in the bedroom.”