The thistle enjoys an exalted position in Scottish heraldry, and is loved by the little passive donkey Eeyore, a character in Winnie the Pooh written by A. A. Milne. Personally, I do not like thistles, but there is a reason for their existence.

 In the spring our feathered friends serenade us every morning outside our windows. This birdsong is beautiful, enchanting and otherwise indescribable in the way it evokes heartwarming emotions and a sense of peace and comfort. How do birds sing?

"Did you hear about so-and-so?" Ears perk up, heads turn and attention is grabbed when we hear those words. We know we are about to hear something private and scandalous about someone we know. Psychologists say gossip has evolutionary origins with our prehistoric ancestors and enabled cavemen, and even their supposed primate ancestors, to survive. What are the real facts about gossip?