PROTEST singer Pete Seeger who has died, visited Glasgow a few times, often as a guest of Labour politicians Norman and Janey Buchan.

Reader Paul O'Sullivan tells us that the biography of fellow performer Ramblin' Jack Elliott told of Pete and Jack appearing at Glasgow University, and beforehand Pete tried to rescue a log from the River Kelvin to use as a prop in an axe-chopping work song - and fell in.

Says the biography: "With the concert less than an hour away, Seeger was spirited away to the hall by a sympathetic cabbie, but forced to perform that night in Jack's dry, but awfully tight-fitting shoes."

Identity crisis

TALKING of celebrities a reader heard a young woman discussing seeing a well-known television star in Glasgow's Hilton Hotel. As she put it: "As I glanced at him he gave me that 'yeah, I know you know who I am' look. So I gave him my best 'no idea' look, and went back to the bar."

Any more encounters with celebs?

Glesga talk

SAYS reader Matthew Spicer: "The interpreter for the Syrian Foreign Minister at the current peace talks may have learned her English in Glasgow. When translating the minister's opinion that the Qatari Government had been exposed as two-faced, she added, 'the mask has fell'."

Sizzling idea

BURNS Suppers, and Tony Martin on the Pacific islands of Vanuatu tells us: "We expats combined Burns Night and Australia Day and had a barbecue where one of the offerings was crackers spread with Vegemite ( the iconic Aussie version of Marmite), topped with a spoonful of haggis courtesy of a tin of Grant's finest brought back from my last trip home.

"The address was short yet appropriate. 'G'day sonsie face!' The overall opinion was surprisingly favourable. Then again, they didn't get to see the list of contents on the tin."

Lotto laughs

WE like the interview with Boothby Graffoe on the Glasgow comedy club The Stand's website in which he is asked about his show Scratch!, about lotteries and scratchcards, which is on in Glasgow in March.

Asked: "What research did you do?" he replied: "I looked at the socio-economic effects of the Lottery. It's disheartening when you realise that, despite the charitable benefits, there is a terrible greed underpinning the entire concept. With this show I'm hoping to make people see that if they win a lot of money then the greatest thing they could do with it is to help other people."

"If you were to win big, would you continue with the tour?"

"You wouldn't see me for dust."

Time, please

THE Open University has been collecting comments made by its students. We can sympathise with the student who said: "I will officially start studying at 9.30. I said the same at 8.30 and 9, but whatever."

One we heard earlier

RAB Noakes is one of Scotland's finest traditional singers, but he does share that surname with others. Jim Buchan was en route to Rab's Celtic Connections gig in Glasgow when he bumped into a pal and told him where he was going.

"Oh aye that bloke from Blue Peter? Didnae know he was a musician. Wonder if he still has that daft dug Shep."