04/03/2008

The Journalists’ Charity was over £10,000 better off on Saturday evening, following one of the highlights of the Scottish media’s social calendar: the Glasgow and West of Scotland Press Ball.

The event - chaired by the Scottish Sun editor, David Dinsmore - saw £3000-plus raised by the evening raffle alone.

But if there were cries of “Fix”, it will have only been because of a couple of interesting coincidences.

One of the prizes was an 'Ultimate Drivers Experience' for two at Knockhill motor racing track, in Fife. It was won by Linda Leadbetter, head teacher of Easter Carmuirs Primary School, in Falkirk, and partner of Russell Leadbetter, Evening Times features editor - who it is understood - doesn't drive.

Amazingly, it’s not the first time she has won that type of prize at a Press Ball. It was the second time in four years.

And the Master of Ceremonies was Archie Mackay, whose wife, Gillian, just happens to be a teacher at……Easter Carmuirs Primary.

Mackay was one of a trio of organisers, the other two being Janette Harkess, deputy editor of The Herald, and Margaret Morrison, PA to Herald editor, Charles McGhee.

What intrigues Spike is not who 'Janette Morrison' is - as uttered by Dinsmore from the stage before he quickly corrected himself - but the identity of the person said to have gone to the local, Alea casino (one of the Ball's sponsors) with a complimentary scratch card, only to win a £50 chip that he successfully put on No.7 on the roulette table, thus pocketing a cool £1700.

* Send your Scottish media news and gossip, in the strictest confidence, to  info@allmediascotland.com