Picture this

WE mentioned the death of former Lanarkshire Labour MP Jimmy Hood, and Campbell Thomson in Newmains recalls: "Years ago when I was a police officer in Hamilton, Jimmy had called in to the office and we compared our early upbringing in Lanarkshire mining communities. I told him that my aunt, a staunch Communist, had barely spoken to me after I'd joined the police and said I was a traitor to my class. Jimmy said that when he went to school in the morning his father insisted that he salute a photograph of his Uncle Joe on the wall. It was only later in life he realised that the photo was of Joe Stalin. Old habits died hard in the Lanarkshire mining communities."

A dog's life

TOM Phillips reads that the most popular names for male dogs are Alfie, Charlie, Max, Oscar and Buddy and that the most popular names for female cats are Poppy, Bella, Molly, Daisy and Lola. Opines Tom: "It reads like the seating plan for a posh wedding."

Bin there, done it

BIT blowy yesterday. Remarked Lynn Bindon: "I witnessed such carnage on my way in to work this morning. They were lying everywhere, on the roads, hanging off pavements, in front of cars. Hellish! These poor bloody wheelie bins! They'll never be the same again!"

Well presented

WE mentioned the Theatre Royal in Glasgow's 150th anniversary this month, and how it was for some years the studios of Scottish Television. Former broadcaster Dermot McQuarrie, now in Fort Lauderdale, tells us: "Most of the best stories of STV's years there come from the Top Spot bar, which was in the basement of the Theatre Royal. And, like as they say in Vegas, what happened in the Top Spot stayed in the Top Spot. Oh well, just one then... a well-known and much-loved presenter was a few sheets to the wind one evening when a colleague said to him, 'Careful now or you'll fall down'. The presenter replied, 'Young man, gentlemen never fall down, they fall over'."

Getting a result

VLADIMIR Putin has announced that he will run again for the election of Russia's president. As former chess champion Garry Kasparov caustically remarked: "Did he also announce the results? Would save everyone a lot of time and effort."

Draw the line

SOUTH-SIDE readers are much taken with an exhibition and sale this month at Plan B Books in the Shawlands Arcade of the political cartoons of Jim Turnbull, the cartoonist in this newspaper for many years. In the pre-computer age Jim would listen to the one o'clock news on the radio at his south-side home, start working on a cartoon with a fine brush and Indian ink, then rush out the door at 6.30pm to get to The Herald offices on time. Always liked our former feature writer Willie Hunter's reaction when Jim first drew a cartoon of him for the paper. "Who's the specky gnome?" asked Willie.

Trump this

WE again contact a reader in the States to ask how the presidency of Donald Trump is going. He tells us: "I remember when I was at school and learning about the Roman Empire, and I wondered how could such a developed and rich society collapse so suddenly. Now I get it."

Laughing at John

STRANGELY the death of model Christine Keeler who was caught up in political intrigue reminds us of when Taggart star Alex Norton was also playing a cop in the film of her life, Scandal. Alex was sharing a scene with renowned actor John Hurt who started to giggle. Alex joined in which annoyed Hurt who told Alex: "I'm getting into character – what the hell are you doing?" "So am I mate," replied Alex. "I'm the laughing policeman."