THE Government's defeat on its plan to bomb Syria may have an upside.

As one reader tells us: "Now that we're no longer siding with America, perhaps we can start picking up points from other countries and win the Eurovision Song Contest again."

And another reader asks: "Is it true that, after the vote, George Osborne put his arm around David Cameron and told him, 'Never mind Dave, we can still stick it to the badgers.'"

Shooting from the lip

OUR mention of Johnny Cash in Glasgow reminds Paul O'Sullivan: "I was at the 1971 Apollo concert because Johnny's record company gave our record shop complimentary tickets. We were two long-hairs in our early twenties surrounded by genuine forty-ish teddy boys in drape jackets and brothel creepers, there for Carl Perkins who was the support act.

"Johnny was visibly taken aback during Folsom Prison Blues when he got to the line 'I shot a man in Reno, just to see him die' and the whole audience cheered."

Pier pair left high and dry

THE paddle-steamer Waverley has just about finished its summer sailings on the Clyde.

Gordon Bickerton tells us: "Returning from a grand day out on the Waverley I have to report that the highlight was not spotting basking sharks, it was witnessing two daft women from Greenock running back down the pier at Helensburgh shouting that they'd got off at the wrong stop.

"The gangway was up, and moorings cast off and they were not allowed to do a pier-head jump. 'How are we going to get hame?' was the cry."

We can't help think though that if it was reversed, and it was two ladies from Helensburgh stuck in Greenock, they would have been even more alarmed.

Frosty reply from Peter

THE death of broadcaster Sir David Frost reminds us of when he phoned the late satirist Peter Cook many years ago and told him: "Peter, I'm having a dinner party on behalf of Prince Andrew and his bride-to-be Sarah Ferguson. They'd love to meet you."

Sir David recounted that he could hear Cook checking his diary before coming back on the phone and saying: "Oh dear. It appears I'm watching television that night."

It all points to Europe

"A Celtic fan walks into a bar in Barcelona, and says, 'I'll have the usual.'"

Thus a Hoops fan makes a subtle point about Celtic once again being among the elite in Europe.

A Rangers fan naturally takes a different course by telling us: "I see Celtic manager Neil Lennon escaped without getting any points in court last week when found not guilty of using his mobile phone while driving. It will help him get used to not getting any points in Europe."

Tram-a-lama-sing-song

OUR songs for the Edinburgh trams.

"Given the delays perhaps Nancy Sinatra's These Boots Were Made For Walking," says Gordon McRae.

"Given the angst and emotional turmoil, my first thought was the Smokey Robinson classic Tracks Of My Tears," says David Walker.

"How about Tired Of Waiting by The Kinks?" adds Valerie Gauld.