Thursday 21 June 2018

STEVEN GERARDS SECRET CINEMA VISIT AND MORE...


Steven Gerrard had his big week in Glasgow for the first day at Rangers but no one knows (until now) that he visited the cinema in the city centre the very same day.
The new Ibrox team manager popped into the Blythswood hotel just a few hours after his first day on the job to watch a film with seven other official looking pals in the hotel’s private cinema room.
It has Harris Tweed chairs and is a cosy place which fits forty at a cost of just under a thousand pounds.
The room was booked under Box To Box which is Steven’s nickname but I’m still not sure if he watched the latest Disney movie, Power Rangers or a Rangers induction video now that he’s a new member of the club.
Maryhill fan Kenzie Smeaton, 12, got to meet him when he was outside with his dad Mark and was probably the first Glaswegian to do so.


Sometimes I just bump into celebs...
The surprise meeting  of the week was with Gilbert O Sullivan who was dining at the Crowne Plaza while I was waiting for Johnny Depp.
Clair singer Gilbert, 71, was in Glasgow to appear on BBC’s The Quay Sessions and had just been interviewed by Deacon Blue’s Ricky Ross across the road at BBC HQ.
He told me he had family ties in Scotland.
He said: “My daughter is married to a Scotsman who is from Glasgow so we come up here.”
Gilbert is celebrating five decades in the music business and he says he listens to artists like Jay Z and Paloma Faith just to keep on top of current trends. He wasn’t however heading over to see Johnny Depp, preferring to have a quiet night with the family.  


THE Mitchell Library played an important role after the Glasgow Art School Fire.
It. was with great sadness that I reported live from the fire at The Art School.
My Facebook livestream ended up being shared around the world as people showed their love for the beautiful building that has become such an important part of Scotland’s streetscape.
Charles Rennie Mackintosh remains as relevant today as he did 150 years ago.
The scenes on the street were chaotic as revellers tumbled out of clubs only to be met with the blazing scene.
Some screamed in shock while others remained silent and open mouthed.
I spoke to a few residents who couldn’t get into their homes due to the blaze. They were directed to the Mitchell Library where officials met them to help them get alternative accommodation for the night.
I also spoke to Arun Day who was DJing at Campus and had to tell people to evacuate the building. He had to abandon his car, wallet and belongings in the frenzy.
As we watched the fire take hold, small explosions could be heard. He claimed they were due to air cannisters exploding in neighbouring entertainment venues.



I tried out the new seasonal menu at Vapiano Glasgow and found out the Celtic lads had beaten me to it.
Dembele and N’tcham are regulars at the Buchanan Street restaurant where you can order single, double and triple portions of your meal.
You watch as they prepare your food and you can decide how much salt, sauce and pasta you get- perfect for the diet conscious footballer.
I on the other hand just stuffed my face. Some of the new dishes include Risotto Vegetalia with white and green asparagus - probably a favourite of the hoops lads.



STOOSHE didn’t let a bit of rain cramp their style when they played the outdoor stage at Edinburgh Pride.
The Black Heart and Waterfall hitmakers are doing a tour of Pride shows around the U.K. and just returned from Ibiza.
Contrary to some rumours they said they’ve no intention of  splitting up. They just  like to pursue individual projects in between.
The girls said a quick hello to Lloyd Daniels who was also floating about backstage with Edinburgh’s own Caitlyn Vanbeck and Glasgow’s GSide.


FORMER X factor singer Lloyd Daniels claims that Glasgow is like a second home to him.
Lloyd is currently in the middle of rehearsals for Closets - a time travel LGBT drama about two boys on different time zones.
He says he’s keen to set up a big band so he can return to Scotland with a full music show.
The Welsh lad is keen to avoid other reality shows for the time being but says he’s always had a soft spot for his Scots fans.
He told me: “Glasgow has - family feel to it. It’s like Wales - it feels like home.”

Katie Price might have enjoyed a weekend of healthy fitness fun with her new beau Kris Boyson, but she because the subject of a cheeky meme online.
Katie was staying at Gleddoch House and popped into Club 29 and Coast restaurant in Langbank while she was here.
She was still here on Fathers Day as she met another girl called Jordan at the airport.
Unfortunately some cheeky internet creatives decided to put up their own imagined depiction of Katie Price’s Father’s Day celebrations - with photos of her huge family of exes online....
Wonder if our Loose Woman favourite saw the funny side.

JOHNNY DEPP SAYS HE’S INSPIRED BY SCOTS LEGEND


Johnny Depp might have brought rock n roll to Glasgow with old pals Alice Cooper and Joe Perry - but he told Scots fans his own hero was William Wallace.
The Edward Scissorhands actor was looking healthy as he rocked up to the SSE Hydro in a four car convoy.
And he showed off some fine vocals during the Hollywood Vampire Set particularly during a David Bowie Heroes tribute.
During his a thousand pound a head meet and greet he chatted away with locals and told them he loved whisky. Asked if he had tried Irn Bru his team despatched a crew member to go and fetch some.
Johnny was flying to London by private jet straight after the set - as he’d set up temporary home with the rest of the band in London’s Savoy Hotel. Years ago I had a conversation with Johnny Depp and his LA team leading to a front page on this very paper.
Local club owner Darren Laurie named his Bellshill venue The Viper - which was copyrighted at the time by Johnny who had the Viper Room in LA. Johnny’s Office threatened to sue Darren at the time and thanked me - offering to send me a beanie hat - for tipping them off about the cheeky Scot. Despite the legal threats, Darren was actually thrilled as his club was mobbed after the story.
Alice Cooper was on fine fettle on stage too. I met him at the Kerrang! awards a few years ago when the buffet consisted of cup cakes in the form of pink lady parts of high led to much hilarity.