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If his name rang bells on The Book Cafe, it's because he was on to talk about his creation, a very special bear called . He may be middle-aged himself but this Peruvian poppet is slap bang up to date in his latest adventure, . We find our hairy hero getting caught up in the Olympic Games fever hitting London and, as ever, there are those marvellous misunderstandings to revel in. For instance, Paddington uses London transport with his OYSTER but unfortunately it's a bivalve mollusc, not a card. He's game for getting fitter too and resorts to a personal trainer. Michael Bond seems like a very mischievous man to me- and hey why not! He's using that bear to have a ruddy good laugh at modern life and manners and how we adults lap it all up. Bond insists he's never written the Paddington books for children; the stories just seem to flow as soon as he starts and that's pretty much the way it's been since the first book came out in 1958. I only had about eight minutes of chat with this former ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ cameraman but he gave me the impression that despite feeling a bit under par that day, he had loads of energy and more than enough imagination to take Paddington well into the 21st century and beyond.

Tuesday's Culture Cafe kicked off with a startling proposition; a cutting edge (literally!) creative collaboration from a Canadian collective with the improbable name . They're in Glasgow as part of the Behaviour Festival and have started a programme aimed at building bonds of trust with children. So there's nothing odd at all about handing a pair of hairdressing scissors to a ten year old and asking them to get on with it, is there? Apparently there is little to fear as it will all be done under the watchful (but non-interventionist) gaze of top crimper, John Comerford at his West End salon, Alice Rocks. Mr C is a brilliant cutter himself so the prospect of nearly 20 ten year olds hovering above clients' heads (volunteers) will not phase him. I'm not so sure about the sitters: allowing anyone, even a fully-fledged hairdresser to cut into your barnet is in itself an act of faith. I've had a few scissor savaging's in my time.

When I first came back to Glasgow after a spell down south, I was reliably informed by my ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ colleagues that a little hairdressers up the road from BH was the place to go. Appointments were easy to get and the prices were reasonable too. I started attending regularly but as we know, familiarity breeds contempt. My "stylist" - let's call her Diane, (yes YOU!) was charming, but also rather self-absorbed. Like Narcissus, she had a tendency to gaze at her own reflection. Fine and good but not when you're holding a pair of scissors. Eyes fixed firmly on her own visage, she merrily chatted away to customers, told us how messy her house was ("like Beirut!) and snipped at clumps of hair with a breezy sense of purpose. This usually worked out ok but on one memorable occasion (I think we got too involved in talking about her messy love life, not in Beirut...but in deepest Maryhill) before I knew it, I was sporting a Stringfellow mullet. If it hadn't been so funny I would have sued! I had to go home and ask my creatively challenged husband to " have a stab at straightening up the back" thus eliminating the flappy section below the collar line that is, as all good hairdressers know, the signature of a well styled mullet. The extra snips turned the mullet into a bowl cut which was just about preferable even if it made me look like a grumpy version of Purdy from the New Avengers. At least a ten year old with a bit of training and all his or her attention focused on the task in hand is less likely to turn out so badly. I believe you can book a session for yourselves. It'll be fine. Honest.

has hit Glasgow - this international festival of visual arts is fast establishing its credentials. called it the best visual festival in the UK and who am I to disagree? I had some support from Arts maven, Mary Brennan of the Herald and Dundonian artist Scott Myles. They both joined me for a quick overview of the festival programme (Mary- that hat rocked!!) and we raced through the must sees and do's. I have to say Bouncy Stone Henge is a big favourite with the public so far but there is sooooo much to see this time - book two weeks off and even then, said Scott Myles, you'd be pushed to take in everything on offer.

For those who like their art a little more intimate... my hot tip for some under the radar enjoyment. , a 1950s graduate from and contemporary of Alasdair Gray, has been largely overlooked for years. Few younger artists know of her work, yet Gibbons was described by as "the best female painter in Scotland". In a bit of an attempt to rectify this long running oversight, friends and contemporaries of Carole's, including three other top flight artists of similar vintage, are holding an exhibition at 24 St Vincent Crescent in the Finnieston area of Glasgow. The show runs until the 5th of May. And if you attend THIS Saturday, at eleven thirty am, you can hear long-time friend and supporter, talking about the importance of Carole Gibbons's work. She's been lurking in the shadows for too long; time to shine a light. Do a quick search online and see what I mean.

PS for those feeling a little left out... ie anyone outside of Glasgow - head to Dundee for Scott Myle's DCA exhibition called - thought provoking installations to marvel at!