Lloyd Daniels

Secretly knowing that I would have to reach for the tissues, it was inevitable that Olly would sail through to the semi-final, especially after the harsh criticism Lloyd has endured from the judges over the past few weeks.  Louis Walsh is no longer on my Christams card list put it that way!

Yes it’s true that he wasn’t the best singer in the competition but he definitely had the Sex Factor so to speak and he was more worthy of a place in the final twelve than John and Edward ever were.

But the thing that angered me most about Sunday night’s show was the way the that Mr Murs conducted himself after Dermot read his name out.  Talk about Danyl having a streak of arrogance about himself, maybe he has been spending too much time with his fellow house mate Olly?!

Perhaps forgetting the rules of good sportsmanship in the heat of the moment, Olly who waltzed off the stage, punching the air and shouting “come on” didn’t even console or shake hands with Lloyd, as he stood staring into the crowd, eyes glazed and looking defeated.  (possible exaggeration inserted here)

Lloyd's final goodbye

It would have only taken a quick man-hug to show his appreciation to Lloyd but even that seemed beyond his good manners.  I understand all the Olly fans out there will disagree with me but if the tables were turned it would be different.  Tit for tat really but that’s how the X Factor cookie crumbles.

So as the semi-final draws closer, it is hard not to feel bitter as the final four battle it out to win the competition that ‘will change their lives forever.’  But the fact that I will be missing the final due a festive work party doesn’t seem so upsetting when your favourite is no longer in the running.

However, I take some comfort from the fact that I would never buy any of their singles anyway (if they release one) or hang their poster on my bedroom wall and I revel in the news that Geordie Joe is tipped to win.  That should wipe the smile off Mr Murs’ face.

All images are copyright of ITV plc 2009

1 Raeburn Place

Stockbridge

Edinburgh

EH4 1HU

0131 332 3864

Star Rating

4 stars

Intro sentence

For a warm, friendly and laid-back dining experience, Buffalo Grill is famous for their mouth-watering steaks, cooked just the way you like and is perfect for a spot of lunch or an evening feast.  But be sure to book, especially at the weekend!

The venue

Set in the bustling area of Stockbridge, Buffalo Grill is tucked neatly away in the corner.  A small restaurant but big on smells as you open the doors, the establishment appears rather old-fashioned inside, with vintage photographs and memorabilia hanging from the walls.  The tables are small and tightly packed together but if you are lucky enough to sit by the window, you have slightly more space to stretch out and a view of the hustle and bustle going on outside.

The atmosphere

On entering the restaurant, you are immediately captured by the warm and friendly atmosphere and all that can be heard is the clinking of glasses, the scraping of forks against plates and the buzz of conversation.  It feels very busy inside, with the waiters and waitresses running from table to table but the diners are laid-back and relaxed with their glasses of wine and empty plates.

Buffalo Grill is family-friendly, perfect for a birthday celebration, a catch up with friends or even a weekend treat.

The food

The menu caters for all tastes, with an extensive selection of steaks, burgers, chicken dishes and a small variety of vegetarian meals available.  Starters include garlic bread, soup, corn on the cob, garlic mushrooms and BBQ baby ribs, reasonably priced from £2.95 up to £5.50.  Steaks range in price from £12.95 to £17.50 and all come served with fries.  The Teriyaki steak marinated in soy sauce, pineapple juice and root ginger is recommended for those who like a tangy yet subtle taste of ginger.  The steak was succulent, juicy and full of flavour, with the taste of ginger over-powering the pineapple.  The portions could have been slightly bigger but the flavours could not be faulted.

The chicken dishes start at £10.50 and come with a range of sides including fries, rice or pitta bread.  The Chicken Redpepajam is most definitely suited for those who like the sweet taste of peppers with a touch of spice to give the dish a bit of heat.  The breast of chicken was tender and the side of fries and corn nuggets complimented the dish well.

For those with a sweet tooth, the desserts are definitely a must.  The Toffee Dime Bar Cake (£3.95) is as sweet as can be, with dime bar pieces scattered over a chocolate brownie, topped with toffee sauce and cream.  Even if you are feeling slightly full after the main course, then ask for two spoons as you can’t leave without trying it!

The drink

An added bonus at Buffalo Grill is you are allowed to bring your own wine, with a charge of £1 corkage per bottle.  There is a large wine list offering a selection of red and white wines ranging in price from £9.50 per bottle to £19.70.  Beers such as Budweiser, Corona and Guinness are also on offer at around £3. 

If after your meal you enjoy a hot beverage, liqueur coffees are available, all priced at just under £3 as well as filter coffee, tea and hot chocolate.

The last word

A very popular restaurant with a chilled out yet buzzing atmosphere that offers a great menu selection, especially for those who enjoy food from the grill. The food and drink are reasonably priced, with the added attraction of bringing your own wine and the up-market location, makes it an extra special evening out.

Fountain Park                                           

Dundee Street

Edinburgh

EH11 1AF

0131 221 1861

Star Rating

3 stars

Intro sentence

Some like it hot and others prefer it toned down slightly which is why Nando’s caters for all taste palettes. Famed for its peri-peri chicken, the restaurant offers a modern and fun way to eat out but table service is not on the menu.

The venue

Situated in the Fountain Park complex, Nando’s is quite difficult to spot at first glance but it sits beside the bowling complex.  The only interaction you have with the waiter is when he shows you to your seat and the rest is up to you.  To order your food you go to the till and you pay as you go.  You collect your own drink and pick up your cutlery on the way back to your table.  There are booths available to sit in which could hold up to around six people, offering a more secluded dining experience. 

The atmosphere

There is certainly a quick pace associated with this restaurant which is mainly due to the diners hurrying to the till to place their orders.  Nando’s attracts a younger clientele as well as families who enjoy no fuss food and simple dining.  The staff are friendly enough and because the table service you would normally expect in a restaurant is not there, you are left to enjoy your meal with no hassle to leave in a hurry, making it a pleasurable place to eat out.  Nando’s is the perfect place to meet friends after work as the mood is mellow and very relaxed.

The food

The biggest decision to be made when ordering food at Nando’s is how hot can you handle?  Using the peri-ometer you can opt for mild, medium, hot or extra hot.  Chicken burgers and toasted chicken pita’s will set you back around £5 on their own but you can add a side for an extra £1.25 which could include chips, spicy rice, garlic bread, coleslaw or corn on the cob.  The chicken burger marinated in the medium peri-peri is still rather hot so for those who like to enjoy their meal without their eyes watering should opt for the mild marinade!  Veggie burgers and pita’s are also available, priced at around £5 on their own or just over £6 if you fancy a side dish.  Platters to share are also on offer from £14.25 up to £36.80 for the jumbo platter.  There are a variety of salads available which can be ordered with a grilled chicken breast to give your dish a kick.

The desserts on offer are simple and typical of a dessert menu including a coconut tart, a variety of ice-creams, chocolate mousse and a toffee cheesecake, ranging in price from £1.20 up to £3.40.

The drink

Nando’s offers a selection of soft drinks which are available on tap, which is probably just as well as more than one drink is needed to cool down the fiery heat from the main courses!  The drinks include the usual coca-cola, fanta, sprite, fresh orange and lemonade which cost around £2.  The wine lists offers red, white, rose and sparkling wines reasonably priced from around £5 upwards.  There is a small selection of beers and ciders available but sadly these are not on tap!

The last word

If you don’t mind not having the personal touch of table service and you enjoy customising your food to exactly how you like, then Nando’s is ideal.  Very reasonably priced with good-sized portions this restaurant is the perfect way to start an evening off especially if you are heading to the cinema or the bowling alley within the Fountain Park complex.

It’s that time of year again.  People can’t stop talking about it, can’t help feeling excited about it and don’t want it to end.  No it’s not Christmas just yet, I’m talking about the new series of I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here!  Every November, we fill our lives with tantalising TV in the run up to Christmas when we should really be writing our Christmas lists or finishing assessment deadlines if you’re a student.

The problem is and it’s very hard to admit, it is simply addictive.  What could fill the cold, dark November nights more than an hour and a half of TV which shows twelve z-list ‘celebrities’ attempt to survive jungle life, face gruesome challenges and not to mention a date with television’s greatest duo, Ant and Dec.

Feeling rather disappointed at the not so glamorous line-up, I struggled to name at least 3 of the jungle-goers.  I knew the girl from Eastenders and Colin and Justin were easy enough to guess from their accents and campness.  Then entered Katie Price.  And what a sight that was.  Dont’ get me wrong, I’m not flying the flag for Team Andre but she looked kind of strange.  Her face looks like an advert for ‘botox gone wrong’ and her body an advert for ‘sick of your small breasts, call our cosmetic team NOW.’

Katie Price

However, I think i’m in the minority when I say I’m glad she has entered the jungle…for the second time.  Of course she didn’t do it for publicity, she’s not looking for love (why would she when she has a cross-dresser at home?) and she doesn’t need to prove that she’s a lovable, down to earth girl.  Nope, she did it to get away from the press and the cameras.  Took me a while to figure that one out but to be honest I still haven’t. 

It was inevitable that she was going to be voted for the bush-tucker trials.  Any fool could see that…but not her.  Her staged panic attack over water when she first entered the jungle was impressive but not believable.  Come on Katie you can do better than I thought, you had a programme on ITV 2 and if that wasn’t acting then I don’t know what is.

But then I suddenly found some sort of conscience within me and started to feel extremely sorry for her.  Her fear of enclosed spaces, water and creepy crawlies was not an act.  Her uncontrollable shaking, heavy breathing, uncomfortable panting noises and her yelling showed that she was in fact frightened.  But then I would be the same if I had forgotten to take off my giant diamond ring before entering a dirty, dark hell hole full of disgusting slime and rats.  Once the sparkle vanishes that’s it.  Gone forever.

The British public are mean.  She has done every single trial so far and there still seems to be no end to her suffering and her prancing around in her itsy bitsy bikini.

I discovered a real respect for Katie tonight though.  Faced with the most disgusting trial so far, she had to endure mouth-watering jungle delicacies which included kangaroo anus, cockroaches, crickets and fish eyes.  And good for her she gave them a go, crunching and chewing and retching her way through it.

But the moment of sheer respect came when she refused to eat a kangaroo’s testicles.  Claiming she had eaten some things in her time, she admitted she didn’t want to be known for eating a testicle.  This is the woman who curls up in bed at  night with Alex Reid.  I don’t really think she needs to worry about what people think of her.  We are already thinking it.

Voted again to take on another bush tucker trial, it seems the public really do love watching her squirm in her tiny bikini bottoms.  Either that or Peter Andre is sitting with his finger on re-dial having a right good chuckle to himself.

Another forty thousand Scots are set to become unemployed next year according to a leading think tank.

Fraser of Allander Institute has predicted that Scotland’s economy won’t grow in 2010, despite the UK’s economic recovery already underway.

While businesses remain optimistic that the recession is coming to an end, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has warned that Britain’s unemployment figures could rise to nearly 10% of the population by 2011.

With more job losses predicted, the situation will become more difficult for those already looking for work.

Edinburgh Napier News spoke to Zia Jaimson, 24 who was made redundant 5 months ago and is still struggling to find a job. “I’ve registered with agencies, handed CV’s in and I go to about 3 interviews a month but it’s so hard to get work because there is so much competition and people with more experience than me going for the same job.”

Miss Jaimson worked in IT for the computing company Dell for 3 years and found out in June this year that her position no longer existed. “By law Dell had to try to re-locate me within the company but the job they offered me was so far out of my specialism that I couldn’t do it. Four of my colleagues were also laid off at the same time and none of them have found work yet either.

“I was given two months redundancy money which I have managed to last up until now but I need to find work as soon as possible.”

While job-hunting in central Edinburgh, Miss Jaimson told Edinburgh Napier News that she is doing part-time training to become a make-up consultant, to improve her chances of finding a job.

Speaking to the Daily Express, Scottish Tory Finance Spokesman, Derek Brownlee said, “Scotland has suffered hardest from Labour’s debt mountain, Labour’s jobs crisis and Labour’s recession.

“The fact remains that we were first in and last out of this downturn, and Scottish unemployment has rocketed by 50 per cent over the past year.”

Five children a day face homelessness due to eviction, according to a leading charity.

Shelter Scotland’s latest report has warned that children are the worst affected by eviction when families fail to keep up with rent payments.

The report, “Eviction of children and families: The Impact and the Alternatives” highlights the devastating effect that eviction can have on children, as it often results in families being left with no choice but to take up temporary accommodation in a different area, leading to the upheaval of changing schools.

The findings show that approximately 2000 children in Scotland were left facing homelessness because of eviction in 2007/08, at an estimated total of £11 million.

The Scottish Government and social landlords are being urged to only use eviction as the last resort.

Questions have also arisen as to whether eviction should be allowed on the grounds of rent arrears and Shelter Scotland told Edinburgh Napier News that Stirling Council has already banned eviction when it concerns such circumstances.

Jessie Crawford, author of the report and children’s service policy and practice co-ordinator at Shelter Scotland says families should seek help as soon as they begin to struggle with keeping up with rent payments.

The charity are also calling for a five-point plan which includes measures to deal with problems which can lead to rent arrears such as illness, unemployment and family break-downs.

And it seems the economic downturn is causing more people to turn to comfort foods to give them that much-needed lift and retailers have been left shocked at the sudden demand for sugary treats.

Traditional sweets such as soor plooms, chocolate limes, chelsea whoppers and rhubarb and custards are returning and are proving a hit with everyone with a sweet tooth.

Lickety Splits, a vintage confectionary shop on Jeffery Street, has been in business since July and owner Jude Ross says it is surprising how many adults come through the door to feed their sugary addiction.

With business booming, Lickety Splits is hitting the high street, with House of Fraser in talks with them about supplying retro delights to be sold alongside their fashion collections.

Edinburgh Napier News went to see what the all the fuss was about.

According to TimesOnline, market research analyst, Mintel are predicting a 9% rise in sweets sales within the next five years.

Speaking to these people on the streets of Edinburgh it seems the desire for sweets hasn’t turned sour.

Here’s a trip down memory lane!  Remember these sugary treats?

• foiled ice cups
• sweet tobacco
• cola cubes
• pear drops
• floral gums
• aniseed twists
• gob-stoppers
• coltsfoot rock
• parma violets

The Taxpayers Alliance have condemned the BBC for giving too much coverage to Nick Griffin and have said that not enough attention was paid to the other important issues of the day such as the national postal strike.

Edinburgh Napier News spoke to Mark Wallace, Campaign Director for The Taxpayers Alliance who said: “The last thing the BBC should be is dictated to.  The licence fee payers did not get a say in the matter and if had been aired on a commercial channel then people could have had the choice to watch it or not.  Too much time was focused on Nick Griffin when other matters like the Royal Mail strike should have been discussed.”

Griffin faced tough questions from the audience but that didn’t stop him from voicing his opinion and he caused more controversy by calling homosexuals “creepy” and saying the Klu Klux Klan was “almost totally non-violent.”

The BBC faced huge criticism from protestors saying Griffin didn’t deserve the chance to voice his fascist views.  Security was stepped up outside the BBC studios in London with a police presence on the ground and in the air to control protestors.

Edinburgh Napier News spoke to these people on the streets of Edinburgh this morning.

Peter Hain, the Welsh Secretary told the Telegraph, “The BBC should be ashamed of single-handedly doing a racist, fascist party the biggest favour in its grubby history.”

The BBC defended its decision to invite Mr Griffin on Question Time saying it was “appropriate”.

Sitting down to watch the X factor result on Sunday night I couldn’t help feeling slightly excited about Whitney Houston’s performance.  Right ok maybe i’m telling a small lie – I was actually more excited about seeing Cheryl Cole strut her stuff.  Would she wouldn’t she sing live and would Simon hastily give her a standing ovation or slate her in front of millions of viewers?  It was all too much for a Sunday night!

Cheryl's performance

First up was the lovely Cheryl Cole and without sounding like I have crush she looked amazing!  Her military-style costume was maybe a bit raunchy…for a Sunday evening –  after all she did slate Kandi Rain for dressing too provocatively.  Then again there is a thin line between showing a bit much flesh and….well you know what I’m trying to say!  Desperate for her to prove her critics wrong, I sat with fingers crossed hoping she would rubbish claims that she couldn’t sing.  (are people forgetting she did win Popstars The Rivals…surely that counts for something?)

When the performance was over I couldn’t help thinking “I didn’t really take any of that in”.  I was far more engrossed with trying to look at her mouth to see if any singing was actually coming out but the microphone was held so closely to her  mouth that it was impossible to see if her lips were actually moving.  And proof that the mic was stuck to her face for the entire performance was the apparent red lipstick smudges on her face!  Bless her..and Dermot didn’t even have the decency to tell her!

After much deliberation I came to the conclusion that she was singing live and apart from the odd bum note I thought the whole thing was pretty damn great.  Her dancing was energetic, fun, sexy and left me feeling just a tad jealous.  It’s no wonder everyone, boy or girl, loves her!

After the break I was pleased to see someone had told the lovely Cheryl about her lipstick mishap but I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t have been Danni.

Cutting to the chase as I don’t see much point in hyping it up (not that there is much to hype up) Whitney Houston made her way on to stage.  She looked pretty good…from a distance and then the camera zoomed in on a haggered, bewildered face.  Her dress was beautiful but not so beautiful that it couldn’t stay together for three minutes.  The strap at the back pinging off and the look on her face as she tried to understand what could possibly be happening was the most exciting part of the whole shebang.  But then she did deal with it very well, pulling a face and then swiftly moving on.

Dress disaster

After little singing and lots of confetti falling from the ceiling as if to mark a world-class performance, the audience clapped and unsurprisingly Simon was on his feet.  Couldn’t help wondering why…there was more backing track played than actual singing.  I think she’s lost her mojo.

Now for the finale.  You’ve got to hand it to Mr Dermot O’Leary, he handled the ‘after performance’ chat very well.  A dazed, distant, not-quite-with-it Whitney attempted to answer his questions.  Swaying backwards and forwards and looking like she’d maybe had too many straight vodka’s before going on stage, there is only one word to describe the situation – embarrassing.  Hardly able to string a sentence together, which shocked me a little as she appeared absolutely fine on the tapes the night before when she was mentoring the contestants.  Giving advice and managing to hold a conversation it hardly seemed like the same person standing with Dermot.  Her face looked different for starters and at least her clothes were still in tact.  And when Dermot asked her what she thought of the contestants she was not exactly brimming with compliments answering “‘I thought that they were….um…. how do I put this really good?”  Thanks for that Whitney but you would have been better off not answering.

I’m a strong believer in second chances and Whitney was certainly given that.  Fighting a drug addiction, seeing through rehab and ditching her damaging relationship with Bobby Brown, Whitney came out the other end, or so I thought.  Maybe it was just a couple of vodka’s (or something else but I couldn’t possibly comment!) to give her some dutch courage before her first live performance in so many years but whatever it was that caused her to act so nervously and so bizarre leaves little to the imagination.  But she did draw nearly 15 million viewers in so it was a job well done.

All images are copyright of ITV plc 2009

Freshers are the hardest hit with just 72% of applications processed, compared with 78% last year according to information obtained by the BBC through the Freedom of Information Act.

The BBC found the delay was due to problems with the scanning equipment which led to the hold-up meaning that the company has had to go back to manual processing of documents.

At Edinburgh Napier University’s Merchiston campus, many students reported that they are affected by this problem.

Margaret Dalgleish, Student Funding Advisor at Edinburgh Napier University, says they are experiencing more phone calls than usual about these delays at the SLC. She says that students are being told a range of varying amounts of time they will have to wait.

This comes after NUS Scotland reported that 70% of students work over the ten hour a week advised time and more than half of Scottish students are having to resort to high cost debt such as credit cards.