BATHGATE-BORN thespian David Tennant is a popular fellow, especially amongst Doctor Who fans, who adored his interpretation of the show’s lead character.

When Tennant appeared at Wales Comic Con at the weekend the queues to meet him were as long and winding as any road ever eulogised by Sir Paul McCartney.

Though there was one naysayer amongst the faithful. An elderly chap was spotted at the end of the queue, grim of face, and holding aloft a placard that emphatically declared: ‘He’s not that special!’

Rather awkwardly, the bloke holding the placard (hopefully in jest) was Peter Davison, another former Doctor Who icon… and David Tennant’s father-in-law.

Out on a limb

WE continue our tales of strange encounters in record stores. Gordon Fisher, from Stewarton, Ayrshire, recalls sauntering into Listen Records in the 1970s and saying to the assistant: "Excuse me, do you have Wings?"

Chewing her gum, flicking the page of a magazine, and without looking up, she replied: "Naw, ah've goat erms like everyone else."

Cool car

OBSERVANT Diary correspondent David Donaldson spotted an unusual car registration in Crow Road, Glasgow.

It was: FA55 BUX

“No prizes for guessing it was on a BMW,” chuckles David.

Party animal Boris

POLITICALLY engaged Diary reader Bert Peattie heard about an MP who visited a primary school in his constituency. The Westminster chap said to the little ‘uns gathered to hear him speak: "Does anyone know who the Prime Minister is?"

"Boris Johnson," replied the more clued-up kiddies.

"Do you know what party he represents?" was the next question from the MP.

One little fellow thrust his hand in the air, and with conviction and authority ringing in his voice, replied: "Is it the Christmas Party?"

Mustelids massacre

A TWEET from Andy Stevenson, the director of learning and engagement with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, has caused some confusion in the Northern Isles.

In his social media comment Andy revealed his brass quintet colleagues were planning a concert in Kirkwall to finish "a stoat about in Orkney".

This led a Diary reader in the far north to wonder if this is a hint that conservationists within the orchestra are planning to eradicate all mustelids in the isles because of the impact they have on native wildlife.

Furthermore, our reader is curious to know if the RSNO will be using traps, as well as brass instruments, to stamp out the stoats.

Word count

“IF I had to describe myself in one word,” says reader Margaret O’Shea, “it would be ‘not very good at following instructions’.”