As if my distant connections to Tony Benn weren’t incriminating enough, here’s a relation by marriage sure to get me on to Joe McCarthy‘s little list.

John Edward Emile (Von) Holtorp (aka Emile Holtorp, aka Citizen Holtorp), is described on Marxists.org thus:

Holtorp, Emile — Polish émigré in London; member of the General Council of the International (October 1864-66), Corresponding Secretary for Poland (1864-65), delegate to the London Conference of the International (1865); in 1866 joined the International Republican Committee set up by Mazzini.

In 1898, my great-great-aunt Emily Baily married George Holtorp. Emile was his father. I feel the need for a chart.

On the 1871 census, Holtorp describes his occupation as “Political refugee”, although on his son’s marriage certificate he is recorded as a draughtsman. As Corresponding Secretary for Poland of the International Working Men’s Association, he put his name, with Karl Marx’s, to such documents as a letter to President Johnson, a card for societies forming part of the Association, and an address to Abraham Lincoln.

Bands for all seasons – Observer reviews of the Pixies, Razorlight and Franz Ferdinand.

Franz Ferdinand, meanwhile, reaffirmed their reputation as the most exciting band in Britain, announcing their arrival with the thunderous spookatronics of the Dr Who theme tune then serving up whammy after whammy with indecent ease, as though writing hideously catchy pop songs is something they do between completing Sudoku grids and cooking the tea.

"There are things I will not tolerate: students loitering on campus after school, horrible murders with hearts being removed… and also smoking."

As the Government’s confused partial smoking ban trundles closer, it seems that the number of exempt pubs could rise by a third as they stop serving food to escape the new restrictions. The proposal to ban smoking in pubs where meals are served is based on the well-known scientific fact that second-hand smoke is more harmful if you are eating.

Meanwhile, GNER trains are now entirely non-smoking following the abolition of designated smoking coaches. According to GNER, this is

in direct response to passenger wishes and follows detailed research which showed that more than 90% of GNER passengers do not smoke and that most wanted smoking on trains to be abolished.

You can be sure they carried out this predictable research after spotting the problem of East Coast Mainline trains passing from England, where smoking carriages would be permitted, to Scotland where, from next year, they would be illegal.

The unintended consequence? Judging by my experience last night, smokers are now saved the effort of traipsing to coach B for a fag: they just light up wherever they’re sitting. And as there are no ashtrays in coach D, the smoker in question blew his tobacco detritus onto the seat opposite. Charming.

Inspired by Alan, and while I wait for the votes to pile up over the weekend, here’s a fun list of Celebrities I Spotted In Edinburgh.

1. Stand-up comedian Jo Caulfield, at Stewart Lee’s show
2. Comedy actor and writer David Walliams (who I also saw in Camden a few years ago) outside the Assembly Rooms booking office
3. Ben Miller, of Armstrong and Miller, waiting with his suitcase outside the Assembly Rooms
4. The comedians Tim Vine and Ross Noble in the Pleasance Courtyard

In 2004, I saw Rich Hall, Adam Bloom, Scott Capurro and Ben Moor out and about. In 2001, I saw Robin Ince in the street and Sylvester McCoy in the Pleasance Bar.