AS you read this, the Church of Scotland, of which I am a minister, is meeting in General Assembly, in the Assembly Hall at the top of The Mound in Edinburgh.

The football season will soon be over and I will be richer. Please let me explain.

Most Shocking Talent Show Moments

I caught up with John Cooper Clarke this week and he still doesn’t mind being referred to as the ‘punk poet’. I reminded him of those days when he signed to CBS Records for an unbelievable deal releasing singles and albums on coloured and shaped vinyl, many of which lie gathering stoor in my loft. The image of the tall lad in skinny jeans and Chelsea boots was only enhanced by his shades and big hair remarkably intact today. Live From South Bank (Safe Cracker), is his new DVD featuring not only an effortless stand up routine but also some rapid fire poetry delivered comically with wit and intricate rhyme. Extras include a rare live duet of 36 Hours with Frank Sidebottom on guitar. This must be one of the last films of Chris Sievey’s comic character with the papermache head before he succumbed to cancer in 2010.

Silver Linings Playbook

Directed by David O. Russell

Recommended by Tanya Scoon

War reporting for cowards

By Chris Ayres

Recommended by Scott Inglis

HOW did he do that? If we asked ourselves the question once, we asked it a dozen times or more on the way home.

I had been picked up at the airport by my colleague and driven to his home for an evening meal.

A flurry of singles from her platinum debut album ensured a growing buzz for Ms Caro Emerald and with the tango infused single ‘Tangled Up’ all over the radio the new album released this week will easily crash the charts.

I’VE taken up walking, much to the surprise of assorted friends who know me as one of life’s sloths.

Last week my wife and I celebrated our 27th wedding anniversary - surviving this long is quite a feat, especially on my wife’s part!

I can quite understand why so many readers have contacted the paper and spoke out on Facebook about plans to change school hours.

Forgive me for being a sucker for cute, but when you see this adorable young chimp you’ll find this film hard to resist too.

Written in the stars?

The Great Shark Hunt

By Hunter S Thompson

Recommended by Paul McCabe

Glory

Recommended by Scott Inglis

It’s not often I read a book purely on recommendation, having not heard of the author, but luckily ‘Americanah’ by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was an exception.

I started off the week, I’m quite happy to admit, firmly in the ‘celebrating Thatcher’s death’ camp.

Now, this looks awfi’ nice. New colours, new designs and my full-length photo now just a bawheid.

For a while the music biz was pondering over the new David Bowie album after a surprise ‘single’ was suddenly released without warning.