The 14 ancient Trade Incorporations of Glasgow yesterday elected their 1998-99 Deacons, Collectors and Master Courts in ceremonies dating back over 400 years, and complete with the gifting of pears to craft members.
The Maltmen elected wines and spirits sales manager Ian O'Connor, and baker James Black will preside over the Bakers.
The Barbers, originally part of the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons, chose ophthalmic surgeon Peter Kyle.
And most fittingly, the city's oldest craftsmen, the Hammermen, will be headed by Henry Mitchell and Archie Hunter, two distinguished chartered accountants.
Better watch out
Santa Claus is here! In what must be a world first, he was spotted at Edinburgh's showpiece Gyle shopping centre on August 28, much to the disgust of large numbers of customers.
The centre's marketing manager, Karen Johnson, told me: ''Some customers have commented and I totally agreed with them. It was a promotion by Houstoun House and they were supposed to be promoting their aerobics. Instead they were promoting their Christmas facilities. If we had been aware of this, we would not have allowed it.''
Why on earth not?
''August is a little bit early to have Santa Claus. We have our own Santa who won't arrive until December 1.''
Macdonald Hotels was unrepentant. They claimed: ''It was very well received on the day and Ugie Bear was there too.''
Bouled over
The Auld Alliance is being given an unusual lease of life today and tomorrow at Drymen.
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland is sponsoring the Scottish Masters Petanque Championships, the main event in the petanque sporting calendar.
The Scottish association boasts 1500 members and the Scottish champions compete in the Celtic Championships against Wales and Ireland. Petanque (pieds tanques - feet together) originated in Provence and is now the world's most popular lawn bowling sport.
Give us your money
At the Kennedy Space Centre in Orlando, visitors spend an average of #4 a head. In Scottish visitor attractions the average spend is #1.18.
Management from the Kennedy centre and from New York's Museum of Modern Art will be among the speakers at next week's New Horizons conference on Scotland's visitor attractions at Airth Castle.
Scottish Enterprise's head of tourism Eddie Brogan says tourists to Scotland are increasingly sophisticated.
''The industry in Scotland must be aware of what is happening globally and be quick to respond to new ideas and opportunities.''
On the scaffold
How did Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos, Prince Naseem and Paul Ince come to stand three storeys high on a Glasgow landmark at the corner of Gordon Street?
Sandy Greaves decided they would look better than scaffolding and plastic sheets covering Greaves Sports for four months, applied to the council for planning permission, and approached Nike and Adidas.
The posters cost #40,000 a throw, but what a site!
Out of touch
The Centre for High Performance Development made its first foray into Scotland last week with a conference at the EICC in association with the Institute of Directors, Scotland.
Edinburgh Fund Managers and the Law Society of Scotland are already disciples; there were also large squads from the Scottish Office and Buccleuch Estates.
90 companies gathered to learn the secrets of high performance from speakers led by . . . one ''Bob Wainwright''?
Yes, I'm afraid the Hampshire-based centre was referring to the Scottish rugby captain.
Promises, promises.
There's the rub
Have you had a healthy week at work?
Staff at Marathon Oil in Aberdeen have been enjoying stress-relieving sessions of Reflexology and Shiatsu massage courtesy of the Complementary Health Centre at Banchory.
The centre won a best new business award last year and decided to offer the service to Marathon, recent winners of a bronze health at work award, in Health at Work week.
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