The Good Giraffe has his head in the clouds and a big heart

Tales From The Water Cooler

As many of you know, Scots are famed throughout the world for being true "people people"; always a cheery smile for our fellow humans and rarely violent; certainly never dour or grumpy. And although I may give frequent lie to this truth, (especially when approached in the street by a bouncy student in a red fleece raising money for Shelter), a news item this week brought warmth to my soul, inspiring me to cut short my merciless vehicular pursuit of a fleeing lollipop lady. It seems Scotland has produced its own superhero. And, rather than a bat or a spider, this one dresses as a giraffe.

Armstrong Baillie, 32, has been carrying out random acts of kindness to strangers across the country, in the guise of the Good Giraffe. He was spotted distributing water and bananas to participants in the Edinburgh Half Marathon, removing rubbish from the beach at Portobello, handing out £10 vouchers to hospital patients and warming up chilly pedestrians with hot coffee. Mr Baillie told BBC Scotland: "It makes me happy when I see the difference in people when they see me in the suit. It makes them happy and it makes me feel cheery. Giraffes are like me, as my head is in the clouds but my heart is in the right place."

Makes me wish I had never given up on my zoo-themed humanitarian work. Maybe I should dig out the old costume and start spreading the love. Make way for the Rhino of Righteousness!

Twitter: @DonaldAMacInnes